I 


GIFT  OF 
Harry  East  Miller 


<t$a^4 


■J 


t^t  @bitroni)acft  ZaUe, 


VOL.   I. 

THE  STORY    THAT    THE  KEG 
TOLD    ME, 

ami 

THE  STORY  OF    THE  MAN  IVHO 
DIDN'T   KNOIV  MUCH. 


JOHN    NORTON    THE    TRAPPER. 


THE   STORY   THAT  THE    KEG 
TOLD   ME 


AND 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAN  WHO 
DIDNT  KNOW  MUCH 


25p  W.  1%  1%  a^urrap 

Author  of  "Daylight  Land,"  "Adventures  in  the  Wilderness" 

"How  John  Norton  Spent  His  Christmas" 

"Deacons,"  etc.,  etc 


BOSTON : 

DeWOLFE   &    FISKE   COMPANY, 

PUBLISHERS. 


•    «    •   •< 


•       •  •      •        •    c 


r  t     t     t  c    f      e  , 


Copyright,   i'^^o, 
By  CUPPLES  8:   HURD. 


A//  Rights  Reserved. 


v\ 


c^    (^ 


^ 


C^.s^N    -V. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Intrc 

>DUCTIOX                   

vii 

THE    STOKY   THAT   THE   KEG   TOLD   ME. 

CHAPTER 

I. 

The  Keg          

1 

11. 

The  Miser       .         .         .         . 

11 

III. 

The  Miser's  Eear 

21 

IV. 

The  Miser  ix  the  Woods 

30 

V. 

JoHx  iSToRTOx  the  Trapper 

40 

VI. 

The  Old  Trapper's  Ambush 

56 

VII. 

Finding  the  Miser 

67 

VIIL 

The  Miser's  Confession 

80 

IX. 

The  Death  Watch 

95 

X. 

The  Funeral 

100 

THE    MA^   who   DIDN'T  KXOW   MUCH. 


Part  I. 
I.  The  Beaver's  Lodge 
II.  An  Animated  Bush 

III.  Camp  Life 

IV.  The  Hunt 
V.  The  Rescue 

VI.  The  Ovation 
VII.  The  Eace 
VIII.  The  Lad's  Triumph 

iviSlSOO 


111 

129 
144 
162 
177 
194 
210 
231 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


Part  II. 

IX.  The  Shooting  Match    . 
X.  The  Shooting  jNIatch    . 
XI.  The  Match  for  the  Silver  Horn" 

XII.  The  Ball 

XIII.  The  Parting 


PAGE 

249 

269 
290 
311 
330 


Part  III. 


XIV.  Some  Old  Folks    . 
XV.  Henry's  Ambush    . 
XVI.  The  Thunder-storm 
XVII.  Crazy  John    . 
XVIII.  A  Prophecy    . 
XIX.  The  Catastrophe 
XX.  The  Lad  goes  Home 


353 
366 
383 
400 
411 
420 
442 


INTRODUCTION. 


TV/TY  Publishers  have  requested  me  to  prepare  a 
brief  statement  concerning  my  literary  work, 
especially  that  portion  of  it  relating  to  the  character 
known  as  John  Norton  the  Trapper  —  and  the  stories 
called  the  "  Adirondack  Tales."  They  represent  that 
there  is  an  unusual  curiosity  and  interest  on  the  part 
of  many  touching  this  matter,  and  that  a  brief  state- 
ment from  me,  as  the  author  of  them,  will  please  many 
and  interest  all  who  read  my  works. 

I  know  that  many  thousands  of  people  do  feel 
in  this  way,  for  my  mails  for  several  years  have 
brought  me  almost  daily  a  most  agreeable  correspon- 
dence concerning  not  only  the  character  of  John  Nor- 
ton the  Trapper,  but  of  the  general  scope  and  char- 
acteristics of  my  literary  work  ;  and  because  of  this 
personal  knowledge  I  do  the  more  cheerfully  comply 
with  my  Publishers'  request,  and  will,  now  and  here, 
set  down  as  briefly  as  I  may  what  seems  likely  to  be 
of  interest  to  those  who  read  this  volume. 

The  first  volume  ever  published,  of  my  writing, 
was    by  the  house    of    Ticknor  &  Fields,  in  1868  I 


viii  INTBODUCTION. 

think,  and  had  for  its  title  "  Murray's  Adventures 
in  the  Wilderness."  This  was  the  book  which  first 
brought  the  Adirondacks  to  popular  notice,  and  did 
so  much  to  advertise  that  now  famous  region  to  the 
sporting  and  touring  classes  of  the  country.  The 
noticeable  thing  as  to  this  volume  is  that  it  was  not 
prepared  by  me  for  publication,  and  while  writing  the 
several  chapters  I  had  no  idea  that  they  or  anything  I 
should  ever  write  would  be  published.  I  was  then  in 
the  clerical  profession,  and  was  stationed  at  Meriden, 
Conn.  I  had  at  this  time  a  habit  of  composing  each 
day,  when  my  duties  permitted  me  the  leisure,  some 
bits  of  writing  wholly  apart  from  my  profession  and 
work.  They  were  of  the  nature  of  exercises  in  Eng- 
lish composition,  a*nd  had  no  other  interest  to  me  than 
the  mental  refreshment  it  gave  me  to  write  them,  and 
the  hope  that  the  doing  of  them  would  assist  me  to 
imj)rove  my  style  in  expression.  They  were  constructed 
slowly  and  rewritten  many  times,  until  they  were  as 
simple  and  accurate  as  to  the  use  of  words  as  I  could 
make  them.  I  enjoyed  the  work  very  much,  and  the 
composition  of  those  little  bits  of  description  and 
humor  delighted  me  probably  more  than  they  ever 
have  the  readers  of  them.  By  an  accident  of  circum- 
stances they  were  printed  in  the  Meriden  Recoi^der, 
and  beyond  pleasing  a  few  hundreds  of  local  readers 


INTB  OB  UCTION.  ix 

made  no  reputation  for  themselves  whatever.  At  least 
I  never  heard  of  them  or  gave  them  any  thought.  It 
was  owing  to  James  T.  Fields  that  their  merit,  such  as 
they  had,  w^as  discovered  and  that  they  were  given  in 
volume  form  to  the  world.  Of  the  reception  the  little 
book  met  with  at  the  hands  of  the  public  I  need  not 
speak.  As  to  it  I  know  no  one  was  more  surjjrised 
than  I  w^as.  It  made  the  Adirondacks  famous,  and  gave 
me  Si  nonide Illume  \A\\<!\\  has  almost  overshadowed  the 
name  I  was  christened  with.  What  pleases  me  most  as 
to  it  is  the  thought  that  it  helped  to  introduce  healthier 
fashions  of  recreation  and  brought  thousands  into  close 
and  happy  connection  with  Nature. 

Of  several  volumes  of  sermons  that  were  published 
while  I  was  in  the  clerical  profession  I  make  no  men- 
tion, for  I  do  not  regard  them  as  literary  productions. 
They  represent  only  a  temporary  popular  demand, 
and  as  compositions  only  the  low  average  possible  to 
an  overworked  man,  compelled  by  his  duties  to  do  too 
much  to  do  anything  well. 

The  volume  known  as  the  '^  Perfect  Horse  "  was,  I 
believe,  with  the  exception  of  Hiram  Woodruff's  little 
volume,  the  first  attempt  made  by  an  American  author 
to  teach  the  breeders  of  the  trotting  horse  in  this 
country  the  true  principles  and  correct  methods  of 
equine  propagation.     It  had  a  large  sale,  and  I  have 


X  INTBODUCTIOK. 

reason  to  think  helped  the  country  to  needed  knowl- 
edge. To  me  it  only  stood  for  years  of  wide  and 
close  studentship  of  the  question  and  a  benevolent 
endeavor. 

The  prompting  motive  in  the  preparation  of  "  Day- 
light Land"  was  this  :  —  The  little  book,  ^'Adventures 
in  the  Wilderness,"  was  publishad  in  1868,  I  think,  and 
under  circumstances  such  as  I  have  explained.  I  had 
no  thought  at  that  time  of  becoming  an  author.  The 
several  chapters  of  that  little  volume  were  written  as 
exercises  in  composition.  I  was,  at  the  Avriting  of 
them,  only  some  twenty-six  years  old.  I  knew  little  of 
life  or  nature,  and  absolutely  nothing  of  what  literary 
balance  and  fitness  mean.  My  knowledge  of  wood- 
craft was  then  slight,  of  the  American  Continent 
slighter  yet.  Naturally  the  book,  because  of  the 
fame  it  won,  became,  as  years  passed,  my  knowledge 
grew  apace,  and  my  power  of  expression  ripened, 
a  regret  to  me.  It  did  not  in  any  sense  repre- 
sent me  as  an  author.  This  feeling  was  shared  by 
others  who  have  regard  for  my  writings,  especially 
along  the  lines  of  description  and  entertainment,  and 
I  was  urged  to  compose  a  volume  of  the  same  general 
character  as  my  first  little  book,  that  should  be  a 
fairer  and  happier  expression  of  myself  as  an  author 
in  the  lighter  moods  of    composition.     It  may  inter- 


INTRODUCTION.  XI 

est  some  to  learn  —  especially  young  authors  and 
literary  folk  —  that  "Daylight  Land"  had  for  its 
prompting  cause  the  feeling  that  it  was  not  fit  for  me 
to  be  permanently  represented  in  descriptive  writing 
and  in  composition  of  the  lighter  sort  by  that  little 
book  which  has  gone  so  far  and  done  so  much  of 
good  in  many  ways,  but  which,  because  of  the  rea- 
sons stated,  has  always  been  extremely  unsatisfactory 
to  me. 

I  will  now  come  directly  to  the  character  of  John 
Norton  the  Trapper  and  the  "  Adirondack  Tales." 

I  was  once  at  a  luncheon  at  which  Mr.  James  T. 
Fields  presided.  Several  clever  literary  men  of  more 
or  less  prominence  were  present.  Mr.  Emerson  w^as 
there,  and  in  answer  to  the  query,  "  What  makes 
a  story  a  great  story,"  said :  "  A  story  which  will 
make  the  average  reader  laugh  and  cry  both  is  a 
great  story,  and  he  who  writes  it  is  a  true  author." 
The  definition  struck  me,  when  I  heard  it,  as  a  very 
proper  one,  and  it  has  influenced  me  in  my  choice  of 
subjects  and  methods  of  treatment  ever  since. 

Another  question  discussed  at  that  table  was  this  : 
"  Why  must  the  feminine  element  be  introduced  so 
constantly  ?  "  or,  as  one  of  the  witty  lunchers  phrased 
it,  "  Why  must  every  author  forever  introduce  a 
woman  into  his  story  ?  " 


Xll  INTB  OD  UCTIOX. 

This  was  discussed  at  length,  all  assuming  that  such 
necessity  did  exist. 

I  had  not  engaged  in  the  spirited  talk,  being  well 
content  to  listen.  This  Mr.  Fields  noted,  and  insisted 
on  "  Parson  Murray,"  as  he  facetiously  called  me, 
giving  his  views.  I  re23lied  that  I  would  sooner  keep 
silent,  especially  as  I  did  not  agree  with  the  verdict  o£ 
the  table.  This  attracted  a  surprised  attention,  and 
I  was  compelled  to  say  "  that  I  did  not  see  the  need 
of  introducing  a  woman  into  every  story,  and  that  I 
believed  a  story  meeting  Mr.  Emerson's  definition  of 
a  great  story,  viz.,  one  which  would  make  the  read- 
ers of  it  laugh  and  cry  both,  could  be  written  without 
a  woman  appearing  in  it,  and  that  in  some  masculine 
natures  was  a  tenderness  as  deep,  a  sympathy  as  sweet, 
and  a  love  as  strong  as  existed  in  woman."  And  I 
added,  "  Mr.  Emerson  has  forgotten  that  in  a  book 
with  whicli,  as  he  was  a  clergyman  for  years,  he  is 
perfectly  familiar,  there  is  a  picture  given  of  two 
men  who  '  loved  each  other  beyond  the  love  of 
women.'  " 

Not  to  dilate  further,  from  that  day  Mr.  Fields 
never  ceased  to  urge  me  to  "  attempt  that  story,"  and, 
being  most  friendly  to  me,  —  and  to  what  young 
person  with  any  talent  was  he  not  ever  a  friend,  —  he 
would  say,  "  I  tell  you,  Murray,  try  and  see  if  you  can 


INTBODUCTIOY.  xui 

write  that  story,  not  a  woman  or  the  hint  of  one,  good 
or  bad,  in  it,  for  it  may  be  you  might  succeed,  and  if 
you  should,  you  know  what  Emerson  said ;  and  I  would 
like  to  be  the  publisher."  Prompted  by  this  kindly 
thought  for  me,  and  moved  by  assisting  circumstances, 
I  wrote  the  "  Story  of  the  Man  Who  Didn't  Know 
Much.'*  It  was  composed  amid  the  pressure  of  jour- 
nalistic as  well  as  clerical  labors,  by  being  dictated  to 
a  type  writer,  and  appeared  in  the  weekly  issues  of  the 
Golden  Rule,  a  journal  of  which  I  was  editor  and 
owner.  It  gave  great  satisfaction  to  the  readers  of 
the  paper,  and  increased  its  circulation  appreciably. 
Of  its  literary  merit,  if  it  has  any,  the  readers  of  this 
volume  can  judge.  The  pleasantest  thought  to  me, 
perhaps,  concerning  it  was  the  fact  that  Mr.  Fields 
came  one  day  to  my  study  and  in  his  genial,  earnest 
way  exclaimed,  "  Murray,  you  have  done  what  you 
said  could  be  done ;  you  have  written  a  story  up  to  the 
level  of  Emerson's  definition,  for  I  have  read  it  from 
beginning  to  end,  and  laughed  and  cried  over  it 
both."  It  is  doubtless  owing  to  this  story  and  the 
success  of  it,  more  than  to  any  other  cause,  that  my 
mind  was  turned  toward  literature  as  the  field  in 
which  I  could  work  with  the  greatest  pleasure  to 
myself,  and  perhaps  with  the  largest  resultant  benefit 
to  mankind.     The  character  of  the  Lad  was  sketched 


XIV  lyTB  OD  UCTIOX. 

with  the  desire  to  illustrate  the  beauty  and  moral  force 
of  innocence  and  simplicity,  as  contrasted  with  great 
mental  endowments.  It  was  from  listening  to  the 
playing  of  the  greatest  master  of  the  violin  in  modern 
times,  Ole  Bull,  that  I  conceived  the  description  of 
the  Lad's  violin  and  his  manner  of  playing  it  at  the 
ball.  The  great  violinist  expressed  to  me  the  delight 
the  reading  of  the  passage  gave  him,  and  jokingly 
declared  that  he  enjoyed  it  all  the  more  because  it 
was  composed  by  a  man  who  couldn't  play  a  note 
himself ! 

Of  John  Norton  —  and  this  must  stand  as  answer  to 
all  the  interrogations  that  have  been  put  to  me  con- 
cerning him  —  I  have  this  to  say.  I  never  saw  any 
such  man  as  John  Norton,  never  saw  one  so  good  as 
he  is,  in  my  vision  of  him,  never  saw  one  that  even 
suggested  lihn.  He  is  a  creation,  pure  and  simple, 
of  my  imagination.  But  though  I  never  saw  such 
a  man,  he  nevertheless  stands  for  an  actual  type. 
Big-bodied,  big-headed,  big-hearted,  wise,  humorous, 
humane,  brave,  he  types,  to  me,  the  old-fashioned 
New  England  man  who,  having  lived  his  life  in  the 
woods,  has  had  developed  in  him  those  virtues  and 
qualities  of  head  and  heart,  of  mind  and  soul,  in 
harmony  with   his   life-long  surroundings.     Through 


INTB  OD  UCTION:  XV 

him,  as  my  mouthpiece,  I  tell  whatever  of  knowledge 
I  have  of  woodcraft,  whatever  appreciation  I  have  of 
Nature,  and  whatever  wisdom  I  may  have  been  taught 
by  my  communings  with  her  silence.  This  is  all  I 
know  of  John  Norton  the  Trapper.  The  "  Story  thaj? 
the  Keg  told  me  "  was  composed  simply  to  introduce 
the  character  of  John  Norton  to  the  reader,  to  present 
him,  as  it  were,  to  the  reader's  eye,  and  prepare  him 
to  appreciate  his  characteristics. 

The  '^  Adirondack  Tales,"  as  outlined  in  my  mind, 
consist  of  six  volumes,  three  of  which  are  already 
written  and  await  publication,  the  other  three  I 
hope  to  complete  within  the  next  five  or  six  years. 
The  Canadian  idyls,  of  which  the  "  Doom  of  Mam- 
elons,"  is  the  first  in  order,  will  consist  also  of  six 
volumes,  three  of  which  are  nearly  completed.  In 
them  I  treat  of  the  myths  and  traditions  of  the  abor- 
iginal races  of  America  as  located  especially  in  the 
northern  section  of  the  continent.  It  is  not  likely  that 
much,  if  indeed  any  part,  of  what  I  may  write  will  be 
granted  a  permanent  place  in  the  literature  of  my 
country,  nor  am  I  stirred  to  effort  by  any  ambition  or 
dream  that  it  may.  I  shall  be  well  satisfied  if,  by  what 
I  write,  some  present  entertainment  be  afforded  the 
reader,  a  love  of  nature  inculcated,  and  encouragement 


XVI  I^'TB  OD  UCTIOX. 

given  to  a  more  manly  or  womanly  life.  As  my  ex- 
pectation is  modest,  I  am  the  more  likely,  perhaps,  to 
live  long  enough  to  see  some  small  part  of  it,  at  least, 
realized. 

W.  H.  H.  Murray. 
BuRLii<rGTON,  Vt. 


THE  STORY  THAT  THE  KEG  TOLD  ME. 


THE  STORY  THAT  THE  KEG  TOLD  ME, 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE    KEG. 

"  There  is  society  •where  none  inXrudes."  —  Byron. 

TT  was  near  the  close  of  a  hot,  sultry  day  in  midsum- 
^  mer,  which  I  had  spent  in  exploring  a  part  of  the 
shore  line  of  the  lake  where  I  was  camping,  and  the 
tortuous  inlet  which  led  into  the  same ;  and  wearied 
with  the  trip  I  had  made  I  was  returning  toward  the 
camp.  There  was  no  motive  for  haste,  and  I  was 
taking  it  easily.  Indeed,  I  was  in  that  quiet,  con- 
tented state  of  mind,  into  which  one  easily  falls  in  the 
woods,  where  his  labors  are  dictated  by  his  amuse- 
ments and  his  physical  necessities,  and  not  by  the 
duties  which  carry  with  them  obligation  ;  and  I  had 
done  little  more  than  drift  with  the  lazilv-movino-  cur- 
rent.  The  quiet  inaction,  slow  as  it  was,  corresponded 
Avith  my  mood ;  and  I  felt  almost  a  regret  when  my 
boat  floated  out  from  between  the  shrubby  banks  into 
the  open  waters  of  the  little  lake. 

It  was  a  very  secluded  sheet  of  w^ater,  hidden  away 
between  the  mountains,  not  marked  on  the  map,  and 
whose  existence  was  entirely  unsuspected  by  me  until 


2  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

in  liiy  aimless  wa)i(lecings  I  had  a  few  days  before 
accidentall};  stumbled  upon  it.  Indeed,  I  doubt  if  in 
^U  ctliM  woods  ^tKer^  js,  another  sheet  of  water  so  shut 
in  from  observ^ioil  arid  so  likely  to  escape  the  eye,  I 
will  not  say  of  the  tourist  and  sportsman,  but  even  of 
the  hunter  and  trapper.  It  was  because  of  this  fact 
that  I  had  fallen  in  love  with  it.  Here  was  silence 
undisturbed  by  any  noise  of  man's  making.  Here  I 
could  escape  the  prying  eyes  of  idle  and  provoking 
curiosity.  Here  I  could  watch  the  habits  of  ani- 
mated nature  and  study  the  mystery  of  her  charm 
without  interruption.  And  here  the  wisdom  which 
man  learns  independent  of  utterance  —  the  wisdom  of 
the  unspoken  and  the  unknown  —  might,  so  far  as  I 
was  fit,  be  received  by  me. 

The  first  day  on  the  little  lake  I  spent  in  paddling 
around  its  shores,  in  close  scrutiny  of  them.  In  every 
bay  into  which  I  successively  paddled  I  expected  to 
find  a  hunter's  cabin.  On  every  point  I  doubled  I 
looked  for  a  sportsman's  lodge.  I  circled  every  island 
in  my  sharp  quest.  But  in  vain.  There  was  not  a 
cabin  or  lodge,  a  charred  coal  or  mark  of  a  guide's 
axe  or  trapper's  knife  in  the  entire  circuit.  Aston- 
ished and  incredulous,  I  devoted  another  day  to  the 
examination.  I  even  landed  at  every  spot  where 
Nature  had  suggested  a  camp-ground,  and  searched, 
with  trained  eye,  for  the  evidence  of  man's  visitation, 
but  found  none,  not  even  the  least  trace.  Springs  I 
found,  cool  as  iced  water  and  clear  as  crystal ;  but 
neither  mark  of  axe,  nor  knife,  nor  fire. 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG    TOLD  ME.  3 

Convinced  at  last,  I  paddled  out  to  the  middle  of 
the  lake,  feeling,  as  I  watched  the  sun  go  down,  the 
shadows  deepen,  and  the  stars  come  out,  that  I  beheld 
what  no  human  eye  had  ever  looked  upon  :  a  place 
un visited  by  man  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 
In  such  a  place  the  sense  of  time  passes  from  you,  and 
the  sense  of  eternity  is  experienced.  The  years  you 
have  lived,  the  years  of  the  world,  are  as  if  they  had 
not  been,  and  you  seem  to  be  coexistent  with  the  birth 
of  material  things.  For  are  not  the  mountains  around 
you  as  they  were  when  God  called  them  up  out  of  the 
depths  ?  And  is  not  the  sky  above  them  the  same  ? 
And  the  great,  round  sun,  what  has  changed  it?  Yea, 
and  the  water,  is  it  not  as  it  was  when  its  parent 
springs  first  poured  it  forth  ?  In  such  a  place  one 
realizes  that  it  is  toil  and  worry  and  the  grief  of  living, 
and  not  years,  which  make  us  grow  old ;  for  behold, 
the  years  rest  lightly  on  whatever  is  free  of  these.  For 
that  which  does  not  work  or  weep  is  forever  young. 

And  so  it  came  about  that  the  feelino-  that  I  was 
the  only  man  who  had  ever  visited  this  lake  was  so 
forced  upon  me  by  what  seemed  indisputable  evidence 
that  I  accepted  it  as  a  fixed  fact.  The  idea  took  utter 
possession  of  me,  and  became  a  part  of  my  conscious- 
ness. There  was  not  a  sign  of  man  or  of  man's  com- 
ing or  going,  on  the  shores,  and  therefore  I  knew  man 
had  never  visited  it.  To  me  this  was  an  absolute  fact, 
as  sure  as  life  itself.  Well,  as  I  was  savinof,  it  was 
near  sunset  when  my  boat  drifted  on  the  current  that 
flowed  with  easy  motion  from  the  little  inlet,  out  upon 


4  ADIROXDACK    TALES. 

the  quiet  bosom  of  the  lake.  The  sun  was  ah'eady 
sinking  in  the  west,  and  the  pecuHar  silence  which 
attends  the  close  of  a  summer's  day  in  solitary  places 
possessed  the  atmosphere.  The  heat  was  fast  leaving 
the  air  and  the  coolness  of  the  coming  night  was 
growing  perceptible  to  the  senses.  My  camp  was  only 
a  short  mile  down  the  lake,  and  toward  it,  with  easy 
stroke  of  the  paddle,  I  urged  my  homeward  course. 
"  To-morrow,"  I  said  to  myself,  as  I  paddled  along, 
"  I  will  leave  the  lake.  It  is  too  lonely,  even  for  me, 
and  its  steady,  unbroken  silence  day  after  day  is  get- 
ting oppressive.  I  am  undoubtedly  the  only  man  that 
was  ever  on  this  sheet  of  water  ;  even  the  deer  here  do 
not  know  what  sort  of  an  animal  I  am,  and  the  rats 
will .  scarcely  get  out  of  the  way  of  my  boat.  I  will 
move  out  of  this  to-morrow,  nor  will  I  stop  until  I 
find  some  traces  of  my  kind." 

Thus  muttering  to  myself  I  paddled  along,  watch- 
ing the  reflections  of  sky  and  clouds  in  the  clear, 
unruffled  depths  beneath,  and  thinking  of  the  cent- 
uries in  which  they  had  received  and  reflected  back 
the  changes  in  the  firmament  suspended  above  them. 
I  had  already  come  to  the  point  on  the  other  side  of 
which  my  camp  lay,  when  my  paddle,  as  it  moved  for- 
ward for  another  stroke,  struck  against  something 
floating  in  the  water.  I  might  not  have  noticed  it, 
perhaps,  but  for  the  fact  that  it  sounded  hollow  as  my 
paddle  struck  against  it.  Curious,  because  of  the 
peculiarity  of  the  sound,  to  know  what  it  was,  with  a 
quick  turn  of  my  wrist  I  reversed  my  paddle,  checked 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG    TOLD  ME.  5 

the  boat  in  its  course,  and  with  a  sharp  stroke  sent  it 
backward  along  the  Hne  of  its  wake.  As  I  repassed 
the  object  I  reached  down,  and  finding  I  could  raise 
it,  lifted  it  into  the  boat.  I  will  confess  I  started  as  if 
an  electric  current  had  been  shot  unexpectedly  into 
me.     It  was  a  KEG  ! 

Now,  finding  a  keg  in  some  places  w^ould  not  be 
very  surprising  :  in  a  ship  yard,  for  instance,  or  in  a 
cooper's  shop,  a  farmer's  cellar,  or  in  a  liquor  saloon ; 
for  in  such  places  kegs  are  plentiful  and  you  expect  to 
see  them.  Nor  would  it  have  astonished  me  if  I  had 
met  it  on  a  frequented  river,  or  in  any  place  where 
men  come  and  go  ;  but  to  find  a  keg  on  this  lonely 
lake,  where  I  felt  man  had  never  been  —  where  no 
living  soul  had  ever  existed  —  was,  as  you  will  admit, 
reader,  a  startling  experience.  Nevertheless,  there  it 
was  —  a  real  keg,  with  oaken  staves  and  iron  bands, 
wdth  a  bottom  intact,  and  perfect  in  all  respects  save 
that  the  head  was  missing.  As  I  recall  it  now  it  is 
really  laughable  the  way  I  sat  and  stared  at  it.  I 
rubbed  my  eyes  to  make  sure  of  my  sight.  I  tapped 
it  with  the  blade  of  my  paddle  and  rolled  it  half 
over  and  then  back  again,  to  make  sure  that  it  was 
what  it  seemed. 

Convinced  at  last,  I  sat  and  looked  at  it,  question- 
ing. Where  did  it  come  from  ?  How"  did  it  get  there  ? 
Who  brought  it,  and  when,  and  for  what  purpose? 
Where  is  he  who  brought  it  ?  Is  he  living  or  dead,  and 
where  is  his  camp  ?  These  and  like  interrogations  I 
put  to  myself  as  I  sat  in  my  boat  on  that  lonely  lake, 


6  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

in  the  growing  darkness,  looking  at  that  keg.  "  Well," 
I  said  at  last,  speaking  aloud,  as  one  quickly  forms  the 
habit  of  doing  when  alone,  "  well,  sitting  here  and 
staring  at  it  don't  answer  such  questions,  nor  satisfy 
my  hunger,  either ;  and  I  had  better  shove  into  camp 
and  get  supper." 

When  supper  was  over  and  the  necessary  wood  for 
my  fire  laid  in  for  the  night,  I  went  out  for  a  while 
upon  the  point,  as  was  my  wont,  for  a  quiet  smoke,  and 
to  observe  the  appearance  of  the  night. 

Of  the  beauty  of  such  a  place  and  hour  those  vA\o 
never  journeyed  beyond  the  haunts  of  men  know 
nothing.  The  sky  was  without  a  cloud.  The  air  was 
breathless.  Even  the  pines  had  forgotten  in  slumber 
their  mournful  plaint,  and  stood  like  so  many  shad- 
ows, dense,  motionless,  and  dumb.  The  water  was  as 
motionless  as  the  atmosphere.  It  received  the  heaven 
as  a  mirror  receives  a  face.  It  stole  and  appropriated 
the  lustre  of  the  firmament,  and  borrowed  from  the 
bespangled  sky  an  ornamentation  for  its  blank  spaces 
as  glorious  as  the  heaven's  own.  The  sky  was  blue- 
black,  and  out  of  its  cerulean  gloom  the  pointed  stars 
shot  gleams  of  many-colored  fire.  The  mountains, 
sombre  and  vast,  rested  on  broad  bases  whose  founda- 
tions were  laid  in  everlasting  silence.  The  odors  of 
the  forest  filled  the  damp  air  like  incense.  A  loon  far 
down  the  lake,  as  if  oppressed  by  the  all-pervading 
silence,  poured  into  the  still  atmosphere  the  prolonged 
sound  of  its  mournful  call.  It  entered  into  the  air 
and  lingered  sadly  for  a  moment,  then  passed  away, 


THE  SrOBY  THAT  THE  KEG    TOLD  ME.  7 

making  the  silence  that  followed  even  more  profound. 
Deeply  affected  by  the  spell  of  the  lonely  place  and 
the  hour,  I  rose  from  the  stone  on  which  I  had  been 
sitting,  crossed  the  point,  and  returned  to  my  little 
camp. 

I  busied  myself  for  a  moment  or  two  in  starting  my 
fire,  and  when  the  flames  of  it  rose  clear  and  strong 
I  seated  myself  with  my  back  against  a  pine,  and  half 
reclining  gazed  off  upon  the  lake.  As  I  thus  sat 
watchinof  the  reflection  of  the  fire-lio-ht  in  the  Water, 
my  eyes  fell  upon  the  keg.  It  seemed,  in  some  sort, 
a  kind  of  companion  to  me,  alone  as  I  was ;  a  visible 
bond  binding  me  to  my  kind ;  a  reminder  of  the  life 
that  men  were  living  in  the  great,  roaring,  busy  world 
outside  and  beyond  the  lonely  lake  on  whose  silent 
shore  I  then  was  lying.  It  reminded  one  of  life,  —  or 
what  men  call  life,  —  the  getting  and  the  giving ;  the 
saving  and  the  spending;  the  loving  and  the  hating; 
of  the  thousands  far  away.  I  fell  again  to  wondering 
where  it  came  from,  and  by  whom  it  was  brought  over 
the  mountains,  and  for  what  purpose  ;  wondering  what 
its  history  was,  and  what  had  become  of  him  Avho  once 
handled  it ;  —  whether  he  were  living  or  dead,  and  a 
hundred  other  things  such  as  one  might  fancy  in  such 
a  spot,  in  such  an  hour,  looking  at  such  an  object  so 
strangely  found.  It  may  be  I  was  awake ;  it  may  be 
I  was  asleep ;  but  as  I  w^as  thus  looking  steadily  and 
curiously  at  it,  and  wondering  strange  things  about  it, 
it  seemed  to  cliange  its  appearance,  and  become  differ- 
ent from  a  keg  ;  even  a  MAN ;  a  little  man ;  a  very 


8  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

little  man,  —  a  man  not  more  than  eighteen  inches 
high,  with  the  queerest  little  legs,  and  the  funniest 
little  body,  and  the  tiniest  face  one  ever  saw,  —  but 
still  a  man.  And,  then,  standing  bolt  upright  and 
looking  straight  at  me  with  its  little  gleaming  eyes, 
that  glowed  like  glistening  beads,  wonder  of  wonders  ! 
it  opened  its  diminutive  mouth,  and  began  to  talk  ! 

THE    STORY    OF    THE    KEG. 

"  I  suppose,"  it  said  —  and  as  it  began  to  speak  it 
leaned  slightly  toward  me  as  a  man  might  in  lifting 
himself  upon  his  toes  —  and  its  ludicrous-looking  face 
took  to  itself  a  grave  expression,  funny  to  see,  —  ^'  I 
suppose,"  it  said,  "  that  you  are  very  much  astonished 
to  hear  me  talk,  as  a  man  can,  and  to  know  that  I  even 
have  a  mouth  at  all ;  but  I  have,  sir,  a  very  good 
mouth  indeed,  and  a  tongue  inside  of  it,  too,  as  you 
will  learn  before  I  have  done  telling  my  story.  For 
I  have  seen  and  heard  strange  things,  both  before  and 
since  I  came  into  these  woods,  and  had  many  queer 
experiences,  of  which  I  propose  to  tell  you  if  you  will 
only  sit  still  and  hear  me,  and  not  go  clean  off  to 
sleep  as  you  seem  inclined  to  do.  0  yes,"  it  contin- 
ued, "  I  desire  to  tell  you  my  story ;  the  story  of  the 
man  who  brought  me  here  ;  why  he  did  it,  and  what 
came  of  it ;  and  how  he  lived  and  died.  And  it  is  a 
very  sad  story  indeed ;  and  it  pains  me  even  to  recall 
it."  And  here  the  Keg  lifted  one  of  its  little,  thin 
hands,  and  placed  it  with  great  emphasis  upon  its 
heart,  "  but  it   contains  a  lesson  which   it  were  well 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  9 

that  all  men,  who  strive  to  be  rich  and  are  growing  to 
love  money,  should  hear,  and  I  trust  that  what  I  tell 
to  you  to-night,  you  will  some  day  tell  to  them ;  and 
I  trust  it  will  do  them  good,  and  be  a  warning  to 
them,  and  make  them  wiser  than  was  the  poor  man 
who  once  owned  me,  and  who  died  right  here  on  the 
point  off  which  you  found  me,  —  peace  be  to  his  soul ! 
and,  indeed,  I  think  he  did  find  peace  in  the  end, 
although  he  found  it  by  a  weary  way,  and  a  steep 
one,  and  one  which  led  him  nigh  into  hell.  But  I  will 
go  back  to  the  beginning  and  tell  you  all  just  as  it 
happened,  and  the  reason  of  things  as  I  safv^  and  felt 
them  lono-  years  as^o. 

"  The  earliest  remembrance  I  haye  of  myself  is  of 
the  cooper's  shop  where  I  was  made ;  and  a  nice-look- 
ing keg  I  was  then,  too,  although  you  may  not  belieye 
it  judging  by  my  present  appearance.  But  that  was 
many  years  ago,  and  you  must  remember  that  years 
wear  the  life  and  beauty  out  of  kegs  as  much  as  they 
do  out  of  men ;  and  although  I  look  so  worn  and 
wTakly  now,  yet  I  can  recall  the  time  that  my  staves 
were  all  smooth  and  clean,  so  that  the  oak  grain 
showed  clearly  from  top  to  bottom  of  me,  and  my 
steel  hoops  were  as  bright  and  shiny  as  steel  can  be. 
I  have  had  many  hard  knocks  since  then,  and  seen 
hard  usage  enough  to  drive  the  very  staves  out  of  me 
time  and  again ;  but  the  cooper  who  made  me  made 
me  on  his  honor,  and  took  a  deal  of  honest  pride  in 
putting  me  together,  as  every  workman  should  in  doing 
his  work.     And  I  remember  as  if  it  w^ere  but  yester- 


10  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

day  —  for  I  have  laughed  over  it  many  a  time  when 
I  had  poor  reason  to  laugh  at  anything  —  that  when  I 
was  finished,  and  the  cooper  had  sanded  me  off  and 
oiled  me  so  that  m}^  sides  fairly  shone,  he  set  me  up 
on  his  bench  and  said  to  his  apprentice  boy  :  '  There, 
that  keg  will  last  till  the  Judgment  Day,  and  well  on 
toward  night  at  that/ 


CHAPTER    11. 

THE    MISER. 

"  Some  lone  miser  visiting  his  store 
Bends  at  his  treasure,  counts,  recounts,  it  o'er." 

Goldsmith. 

"  Well,  one  day,  a  few  weeks  after,  a  man  came 
into  the  shop  and  asked  the  master :  ^  Have  you  a 
good,  strong'  keg  for  sale  ?  '  And  he  put  the  question 
in  such  an  earnest,  half-spiteful,  and  half-suspicious 
way,  that  I  fairly  started  within  my  hoops,  and  opened 
my  eyes  wide  to  take  a  good  look  at  him  ;  and  a  very 
peculiar  man  I  saw,  too,  I  assure  you.  He  was  quite 
a  young-looking  man,  not  more  than  forty  years  of 
age ;  of  good  height  and  strongly  built.  He  was  a 
gentleman,  evidently,  although  his  face  was  darkly 
tanned  and  his  clothes  were  old  and  threadbare.  His 
mouth  was  rather  small  than  large.  His  lips  were 
thin  and  had  a  look  of  beino;  tio;htlv  drawn  over  the 
teeth  —  at  least  it  seemed  so  to  me.  His  chin  was 
very  long,  and  was  joined  at  the  base  to  large,  strong 
jaws.  His  hair  was  brownish-black,  and  not  over- 
abundant ;  indeed,  I  am  not  sure  that  he  had  not 
even    then    beo'un    to    ©tow    sliohtlv    bald.     But  the 

O  O  O  ./ 

remarkable  feature  of  his  face  was  his  eyes.  They 
were  blue-grey  in  color,  smallish  in  size,  and  set  in 
deep  under  the  arch  of  the  eyebrows.     How  hard  and 


12  ADIRONDACK    TALES. 

steel-like  they  were,  and  restless  as  a  rat's  !  And 
what  an  intense  look  of  suspicion  there  was  in  them, 

—  a  half-scared,  defiant  look,  as  if  their  owner  felt 
every  one  to  be  his  enemy,  against  whom  he  must 
stand  on  his  guard,  and  whom  he  might  at  any  instant 
have  to  fight  and  kill.  Ah,  what  eyes  they  were !  and 
how  they  came  and  went  to  and  from  your  face,  and 
shot  their  glances  at  you  and  into  you — ay,  and 
through  you,  too.  I  grew  to  know  them  well  after- 
ward, and  to  know  what  the  strange,  wild  light  in 
them  meant ;  hut  of  that  by  and  by. 

"  '  Have  you  got  a  good,  strong  keg  to  sell,  I  say  ?  ' 
he  shouted  to  my  master,  who  was  hammering  away 
at  a  barrel  so  that  he  had  not  heard  the  man  enter, 
much  less  his  question.  ^A  good,  stout  keg?'  said 
my  master,  as  he  turned  around  and  looked  squarely 
at  the  questioner.  '  I  should  say  that  I  had,  Mr. 
Roberts  ;  do  you  Avant  one  ? '  '  Yes,'  returned  the 
other,  '  I  do,  but  I  want  a  strong  one, —  strong,  do 
you  Jtear  .^' —  and  he  took  a  step  toward  my  master  as 
if  he  meant  to  strike  him.  '  Strong  enough  to  hold 
the  devil  himself  if  he  were  in  it,  or  a  sinner's  hope  of 
heaven,  either,  if  you  like  that  better,'  and  he  sneered 
the  sentence  out  as  if  the  blessed  hope  of  Paradise 
were  fit  only  to  point  a  fool's  joke. 

"  '  Well,  I  don't  know  much  about  the  devil,  Mr. 
Roberts,'  rejoined  my  master,  —  ^  not  so  much  as  you 
do,  it  may  be ;  and  as  to  one's  hope  of  heaven,  I 
don't  build  kegs  to  keep  that  in  ;  but  there's  a  keg,' 

—  and  my  master  tapped  me  with  his  mallet  until  I 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  13 

rang  clear  as  a  bell  —  '  that  I  made  with  my  own 
hands,  from  the  best  o£  stuff,  and  I  said  to  the  boys 
when  I  finished  it  that  it  would  last  till  the  Day  of 
Judgment  ;  and  I  verily  believe  it  will,  if  white  oak 
staves  and  steel  hoops  can  last  that  long.' 

"  '  I  didn't  ask  you  anything  about  the  Day  of  Judg- 
ment, or  anything  else  the  long-winded  parsons  talk 
about  and  frighten  their  cowardly  followers  with,' 
snarled  the  other.  '  All  I  want  is  a  o'ood,  strons:  keg* 
—  stronof  as  can  be  made  of  wood  and  iron — and  if 
that  keg  is  what  you  say  it  is,  I  want  it  and  will  take  it, 
if  you  won't  cheat  me  at  the  bargain,  as  I  dare  say 
you  would  like  to  do  ;  what  is  your  price,  eh  ? '  Well, 
the  price  was  set,  the  money  paid  with  a  muttered 
protest,  and  Mr.  Roberts  hoisted  me  up  under  his  arm 
and  hastened  with  me  out  of  the  shop. 

"  Well,  you  can  imagine  that  I  felt  very  anxious 
about  myself,  and  wondered  as  I  was  being  hurried 
along  where  I  was  being  taken,  and  what  use  I  was 
to  be  put  to  ;  but  I  made  up  my  mind  to  do  my  duty 
and  hold  whatever  my  new  master  should  give  to  my 
trust,  so  that  my  maker  might  not  hear  ill  of  me ; 
but  I  little  thouoht  what  was  to  befall  me,  or  what  I 
should  have  to  bear  as  the  years  went  round.  For 
I  have  S9en  dreadful  sights  in  my  time,  and  beheld 
things  too  awful  to  relate.  For  I  have  seen  the  un- 
doing of  a  man,  and  the  wreck  of  a  human  soul ! 

"  Well,  as  I  was  saying,  my  new  master  hurried  me 
along  without  stopping  to  speak  to  any  one,  although 
we  passed  many,  and  I  noticed  that  no  one  of  all  we 


14  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

passed  spoke  to  him,  but  looked  at  him  coldly  or 
wonderingly,  and  that  he,  whenever  we  were  about 
to  meet  any  one,  whether  man,  Avoman,  or  child,  only 
clutched  me  the  more  tightly  and  hurried  on  the 
faster.  At  last  we  came  to  a  common-looking  sort  of 
a  house,  set  hack  from  the  road,  with  a  very  high 
fence  built  clear  around  it,  and  a  heavy  padlock  on 
the  gate,  and  great,  strong,  wooden  shutters  at  every 
window.  Into  this  my  master  entered  and  set  me 
down  carefully  upon  the  floor.  This  done,  he  went 
back  to  the  door  and  locked  it,  and  drew  two  large 
iron  bolts  or  bars  across  it,  securing  them  most  care- 
fully in  the  sockets.  He  then  went  to  every  window 
and  examined  them  to  see  if  each  was  fastened.  He 
carefully  examined  every  room  and  closet,  even  look- 
ing into  the  ash-hole  and  the  oven  in  the  chimney. 
Then  lighting  a  candle  he  went  down  into  the  cellar, 
and  after  that  up  into  the  attic,  carrying  the  candle  in 
one  hand  and  a  great  club  or  bludgeon  in  the  other. 

"  By  this  time  I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  I  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  maniac,  and  that  my  new 
master  was  insane.  Leastwise  I  did  not  know  what 
to  make  of  him,  or  what  was  to  be  the  upshot  of  his 
strange  ways.  After  a  while  he  came  back  to  the 
room  where  he  had  left  me,  and  took  me  up  and  set 
me  on  the  table;  and  starting  the  upper  hoop  pro- 
ceeded to  take  out  one  of  my  heads.  At  this  I  was 
thoroughly  frightened,  and  kept  my  eyes  on  him 
wherever  he  went,  as  I  wanted  to  see  Avhat  his  strange 
conduct  meant,  and  what  he  would  do  next.     When 


THE  STOIiY  THAT  THE  KEG  TOLD  3IE.  15 

he  had  taken  one  of  my  heads  out,  he  went  to  an  old 
drawer  under  the  cupboard  and  got  a  large  sheepskin, 
with  the  wool  closely  clipped ;  and  with  a  pair  of  large 
shears  proceeded  to  fit  me  wdth  a  lining  of  it.  I  must 
sav  that  he  did  it  wdth  remarkable  cleverness,  and.  that 
when  he  w^as  done  wdtli  me  I  was  lined  as  well  as  any 
tailor  could  have  lined  me.  But  what  it  all  meant  I 
couldn't  guess ;  and  so  I  watched  and  waited.  For 
you  will  admit  that  no  keg  was  ever  treated  as  he 
was  treating  me,  and  that  I  had  good  reason  to  be 
surprised. 

"  After  he  had  done  linino;  me  with  the  soft  skin 
he  seemed  more  easy,  and  less  nervous,  and  he  put  his 
hands  inside  of  me  and  examined  his  work  and  was 
evidently  pleased  with  it ;  for  he  rubbed  his  hands 
together,  and  his  eyes  glistened,  and  he  said  to  him- 
self :  '  There  !  I  call  that  a  pretty  good  fit ;  I  don't 
think  old  Tim,  the  tailor,  would  have  done  it  better.' 
And  then  he  lauohed  to  himself  and  rubbed  his  hands 
together  again  as  if  he  had  said  a  very  funny  thing. 
By  this  time  it  was  well  on  toward  night,  and  he  kin- 
dled a  fire  in  the  fireplace  —  a  very  small  fire  it  was, 
only  a  little,  thin  blaze  made  of  three  or  four  short 
sticks  which  looked  as  if  they  had  been  picked  up  in 
the  roadway,  and  a  handful  or  two  of  chips.  But 
small  as  the  blaze  was  he  manaoed  to  heat  a  little  ket- 
tie  of  ^vater  by  it  and  cook  a  cup  of  tea,  which  he 
placed  upon  an  old  board  table  alongside  of  a  loaf  of 
bread,  and  then  he  sat  down  by  the  table  and  began 
to  eat  the  bread  and  drink  the  tea.     And  this  was  all 


16  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

the  supper  he  had,  and  I  thought  it  very  strange  that 
so  large  a  man  should  be  content  with  such  a  supper ; 
but  I  grew  used  to  the  sight  afterward,  and  ceased  to 
wonder,  as  you  will  when  you  know  the  cause  of  his 
frugality. 

After  he  had  done  eating,  he  wrapped  the  remainder 
of  the  bread  carefully  in  a  piece  of  paper,  and  put  it 
away  with  the  little  tea-kettle  in  the  cupboard.  And 
then  he  went  to  the  door  and  re-examined  the  bolts, 
and  looked  closely  at  all  the  shutters,  Avhile  I  stood 
and  wondered  Avhat  his  strange  actions  meant,  and 
why  he  was  so  anxious  that  the  doors  and  windows 
should  all  be  fastened  so  tightly  ;  for  the  neighbor- 
hood was  a  good  one,  and  the  people  law-abiding,  so 
much  so  that  the  doors  of  half  the  houses  in  the  vil- 
lage were  never  locked  at  nights,  even  from  one  year's 
end  to  another. 

\yiien  he  had  done  all  this,  he  brought  the  club  or 
bludgeon  that  I  had  seen  him  carry  up  stairs  with  him 
when  he  went  up  into  the  attic,  and  laid  it  on  the 
table  beside  me,  and  also  a  large,  thick  knife,  with  a 
strong,  horn  handle,  which  he  had  taken  from  the 
mantelpiece  where  it  had  been  lying ;  and  then  he 
went  to  the  ash-hole  in  the  chimney,  and  brought  the 
ash-pail,  which  was  full  of  ashes ;  and  he  went  to 
the  cupboard,  and  brought  an  old,  earthen  jar ;  and 
from  under  the  bed  he  fetched  a  bas^ ;  and  from  a 
chamber  overhead  he  brouofht  a  small  box :  and  from 
the  cellar  he  returned  with  a  sack,  all  damp  with 
earth.     All  the  while  I  kept  my  eyes  well  open,  you 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  JIE.  17 

may  believe,  wondering  what  it  all  meant,  and  what 
there  was  in  the  pail  and  the  jar  and  the  box  and  the 
bag  and  the  sack.  AVell,  when  he  had  these  all  side 
by  side  near  the  table,  he  sat  down,  and  out  o£  the  ash- 
pail  he  took  a  small  pot,  and  having  blown  the  ashes 
off  it  with  great  care,  he  turned  it  bottom  upward  on 
the  table,  and  —  merciful  heaven  !  what  do  you  think 
was  in  it  ? 

Dollars !     Gold  Dollars ! 

Then  he  took  the  bao^  and  untied  the  cord  that 
held  the  mouth,  and  emptied  it  upon  the  table,  and  it, 
too,  was  full  of  dollars  —  gold  dollars  !  And  then, 
one  after  the  other,  he  opened  the  jar  and  the  box 
and  the  sack,  and  out  of  each  and  all  he  j)oured  a 
great  stream  of  bright  golden  dollars  !  Oh,  what  a 
pile  of  them  there  was  !  What  a  heap  they  made  ! 
How  they  gleamed  and  glistened  !  How  they  jingled 
and  rang !  How  they  rattled  and  clinked  as  he 
poured  them  down  upon  the  dark  boards  !  And  how 
his  eyes  gleamed  in  their  deep  sockets  as  they  saw  the 
golden  stream,  and  how  the  thin  lips  drew  apart  as  the 
dollars  flowed  out,  until  his  teeth  showed  their  line  of 
white  back  of  them,  and  his  hands  shook  and  trem- 
bled as  if  palsied. 

It  was  a  dreadful  sight  to  see  him  sit  down,  and 
leaning  over  the  table,  run  his  hands  under  the  yellow 
heap  and  lift  the  pieces  up  so  that  the  bright  bits 
flowed  over  and  out  of  his  hollow  palms  and  ran  down 
through  his  parted  fingers  in  shining  streams.  And 
then  to  hear  him  laugh  as  he  played  with   the  glisten^ 


18  Aj^.^oxdack  tales. 

ing  coin  !  How  mirthless  his  laughter  was  —  hard 
and  sharp  and  ringing  like  the  metallic  ring  of  the 
dollars  itself.  Oh,  it  was  dreadful  to  think  that  a 
human  soul  could  love  money  so.  And  he  did  love  it 
—  wildly,  madly  love  it, —  love  it  with  all  the  strength 
of  his  stronof  nature.  And  this  he  did  not  disouise 
nor  deny  to  himself ;  hut  admittad  it,  and  gloried  in 
it,  too,  with  a  most  wicked  and  blasphemous  glorying, 
as  the  Arch  Fiend  himself  is  said  to  glory  in  his  own 
sin. 

He  would  take  a  dollar  up  and  look  at  it  as  a  father 
might  at  the  face  of  his  favorite  cliild,  and  pat  it  with 
his  palm,  and  smooth  the  surface  of  it  with  a  finger- 
tijD  as  if  it  could  feel  a  caress.  Ah  m3,  'twas  dread- 
ful !  And  then  he  would  take  a  piece  up  and  talk  to 
it,  and  say  coaxingly,  ''  Thou  art  better  than  a  wife  ;" 
and  to  another,  "  Thou  art  sweeter  than  a  child ;"  and 
to  another  yet,  "  Thou  art  dearer  than  father  or 
mother."  And  to  the  great  pile  of  shining  gold  he 
would  say,  as  he  leaned  over  it,  "  0  my  beauties  !  the 
parsons  may  say  what  they  please,  but  you  are  better 
than  a  far-off  heaven."  Ah,  such  blasphemy  as  I 
hsard  that  nioht !  How  the  sweet  and  blessed  thino-s 
of  human  life  were  derided,  and  the  things  that  are 
divine  and  holy  sneered  at ! 

At  last  he  fell  to  counting  them,  and  by  the  way  he 
did  it  I  knew  he  had  done  it  often  ;  done  it  so  many 
times  that  he  counted  as  men  do  things  by  habit, — 
mechanically.  He  would  say,  '^  Oxe,  Two,  Three, 
Four,    Five,    Six,    Seven,    Eight,    Nine,    Ten, — 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  19 

GOOD!  One,  Two,  Three,  Four,  Five,  Six, 
Seven,  Eight,  Nine,  Ten,  —  GOOD  !  "  And  so  go 
on,  faster  and  faster,  until  his  breath  was  gone  ;  and 
then  he  would  catch  it  again,  and  start  anew.  "  One, 
Two,  Three,  Four,  Five;  Six,  Seven,  Eight,  Nine, 
Ten,—  good  !  "  Oh,  it  was  awful  to  think  of  an 
immortal  beino-  lovino;    MONEY  so  ! 

For  a  long  time  he  counted  on  ;  counted  until  his 
hands  shook,  and  the  sweat  stood  thick  on  his  fore- 
head, and  his  eyes  gleamed  and  glowed  as  if  he  were 
mad.  And  perhaps  he  was  mad, —  as  all  men  are  who 
live  for  gain,  and  whose  hearts  are  fired  with  the  awful 
lust  for  oold.  So  he  counted  on.  And  when  he  had 
counted  all, —  even  to  the  very  last, —  the  old  dark 
boarded  table  was  covered  thick  with  little  piles  of 
tens;  and  he  arose  with  a  jump  like  a  maniac,  and 
stood  abov^e  the  table  and  shouted  until  the  old  house 
rang  again, — 

"  Sixteen  Thousand,  Six  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
six  DOLLARS  !  Sixteen  Thousand,  Six  Hundred 
AND  Sixty-six  DOLLARS  !  " 

AVell,  after  a  while  he  sobered  down  and  became 
quiet,  and  began  to  pick  the  dollars  up  and  pack  them 
away  inside  of  me,  —  carefully,  one  by  one,  as  a 
mother  might  lay  her  children  in  their  beds  to  sleep, 
—  and  this  he  kept  on  doing  until  the  last  shining 
coin  had  been  taken  from  the  table,  and  I  was  full  to 
the  very  brim.  Then  he  put  my  head  in  its  place, 
and  drove  tlie  upper  hoop  on  snug,  and  put  me  in  the 
bed,  and  the  great  knife  under  his  pillow,  and,  blow- 


20  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

ing  out  the  light,  lay  down  beside  me,  and,  putting  one 
arm  across  me  as  if  I  were  a  child,  fell  asleep.  And 
over  the  old  house  in  which  the  miser  lay  clasping  me 
to  his  heart,  I  knew  the  stars  were  shining ;  and 
beyond  the  stars,  with  eyes  that  never  slept,  I  knew 
that  the  great  God  was  looking  down  upon  him  and 
me. 


CHAPTEK   III. 

THE    miser's    fear. 

"  I  greatly  fear  my  money  is  not  safe."  —  Shakespeare. 

"  Increase  his  riclies  and  his  peace  destroy, 
Now  fears  in  dire  vicissitude  invade, 
The  rustling  brake  alarms,  and  quivering  shade, 
Nor  light  nor  darkness  brings  his  jiain  relief: 
One  shows  the  plunder  and  one  hides  the  thief."  —Johnson. 

Well,  things  went  on  in  the  same  fashion  day 
after  clay,  and  night  after  night,  but  getting  worse 
all  the  time.  My  master  did  little  Avork,  and  of 
course  earned  little  money, —  only  enough  to  buy  his 
bread  and  tea,  with  now  and  then  a  little  piece  of 
meat.  He  seemed  to  have  no  desire  to  get  more,  but 
was  only  anxious  to  keep  what  he  had.  And  about 
this  he  was  so  anxious  that  it  kept  him  in  a  fever  of 
excitement  all  the  time.  For  days  he  would  scarcely 
go  beyond  the  doorway ;  and  if  he  saw  a  man  coming 
along  the  road  he  would  hasten  in,  close  the  shutters, 
and  bar  the  door,  as  if  he  feared  the  man  was  a  rob- 
ber, and  was  coming  to  rob  him.  And  indeed  this 
was  his  feeling.  He  was  never  for  an  instant  free  of 
the  fear  of  losing  his  money.  He  would  mutter  about 
it  in  the  daytime,  and  he  would  mutter  about  it  in  the 
night  when  he  Avas  asleep.  Many  a  time  hav  e  I  heard 
him,  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  when  the  old  house  was 
as  still  as  a  tomb,  suddenly  break  out  and  say,  "  Oh  ! 


22  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

you  don't  want  my  money,  eh?  You  came  for  it, 
you  know  you  did,  and  you  hope  by  crying  to  get  it 
out  of  me  ;  but  you  sha'n't  have  a  dollar  of  it ;  no, 
not  a  dollar  !  D'ye  hear  ?  —  if  it  would  save  your 
soul  !  "  And  then  he  would  put  out  his  arms  and 
wrap  them  around  me  and  strain  me  to  him,  muttering 
and  murmuring  about  his  "  Beautiful  dollars.  My 
own,  own  DOLLARS ;  they  want  to  get  you  from  me. 
I  know  them  ;  but  they  shall  never  do  it,  for  I  would 
kill  them  if  they  tried."  And  he  would  grind  and 
grit  his  teeth,  and  hoarsely  repeat  the  word,  "  lilU,  — 
kill,^'  as  he  sunk  again  into  a  heavy  sleep. 

It  was  bad  enou<>h  to  hear  his  mutterinir  when  all 
was  quiet  and  peaceful,  and  his  sleep  was  undisturbed; 
but  when  the  night  was  stormy  and  wild,  and  the 
wind  made  the  old  house  shake,  and  the  rain  was 
slashed  in  oreat  sheets  aoahist  the  windows,  and  the 
timbers  in  the  framework  creaked  and  groaned,  —  at 
such  times  he  would  toss  and  moan  in  his  bed,  shriek, 
and  clutch  me  with  his  fingers,  leap  up  and  strain  and 
tuof  and  strike  as  if  he  were  wrestlinof  with  an  unseen 
person,  who  was  striving  to  carry  me  away.  Indeed, 
waking  or  sleeping,  he  was  tormented  with  a  deadly 
fear ;  and  the  fear  was  born  of  the  suspicion  that 
some  one  would  succeed  in  stealing  me,  and  the  treas- 
ure in  me. 

And  this  suspicion  it  was  that  had  poisoned  his 
whole  life,  and  made  him  hate  his  kind,  and  driven 
him  into  the  wretched  strait  he  was  in  when  I  came 
to  him.     And  a  more  wretched  strait  no  mortal  was 


THE  8 TOBY  THAT  THE  KEG  TOLD  ME.  23 

ever  in  ;  for  what  is  worse  than  the  suspicion  of  one's 
kind,  even  of  one's  wife  and  chikl;  yea,  and  of  the 
man  of  God  himself,  whose  love  for  you  is  as  God's, 
—  the  deep,  steady,  ministering  love  of  the  soul  ? 
x\nd  this  was  just  his  case,  as  I  found  out  one  day. 
It  came  about  thus  :  — 

It  was  summer  ;  and  for  the  sake  of  comfort  —  for 
the  old  house  w^as  damp  and  close  —  he  had  left  the 
door  wdde  open,  and,  seating  himself  in  his  chair,  had 
fallen  asleep.  Indeed,  I  w^as  rather  drowsy  myself, 
and  was  fast  dropping  off  into  a  nap,  when  I  heard 
my  master  give  a  horrible  yell,  and  leap  with  a  fright- 
ful oath  to  his  feet.  My  eyes,  as  you  can  imagine, 
opened  with  a  snap  ;  and  the  sight  I  beheld  nearly 
upset  me.  In  the  doorway  stood  a  man  and  a 
woman  ;  and  by  his  dress  I  knew  the  man  to  be  the 
old  village  pastor,  and  the  woman  I  soon  learned  was 
my  master's  wife.  For  a  minute  my  master  stood 
looking  at  them,  and  then  he  said  abruptly,  "  What 
in  the  Devil's  name  did  you  come  here  for  ?  " 

"  John,"  said  the  woman,  "  your  child,  Mary,  is 
dying ;  and  I  thought  you,  wdio  are  her  father,  might 
want  to  see  her  before  she  passed  away  ;  "  and  her 
voice  choked,  and  I  saw  her  breast  heave  with  sup- 
pressed sobs. 

''-  Dying,  is  she  ? "  said  my  master  brutally.  "  I 
don't  believe  it :  it's  a  trumped-up  story  of  yours  to 
get  me  away  from  here,  that  you  may  steal  my  gold ; 
but  you  can't  fool  me  with  your  lying,  and  you  might 
as  well  get  away  from  here,  both  of  you." 


24  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

"  John/'  returned  the  woman,  —  and  as  she  spoke 
the  great  tears  came  into  her  eyes,  and  her  hands 
twitched  convulsively,  —  "  John,  I  never  lied  to  you 
or  to  any  one,  in  my  life,  and  you  know  it.  Mary  is 
dying,  as  the  parson  here  can  tell  you  ;  and  I  dare  not 
let  her  die,  and  not  give  you  a  chance  to  see  her  ;  for 
she  was  the  last  one  born  to  us,  and  you  did  love  her 
before  the  cursed  love  of  gold  in  you  drove  from  your 
heart  all  other  loving.  And  I  said  the  father  should 
see  the  child  before  she  dies ;  it  is  his  right ;  and  so  I 
have  come  and  told  you.  And  besides,  Mary  herself 
last  night  spoke  your  name  in  her  slee}),  and  talked  in 
her  wanderings  of  you  ;  and  this  morning  she  said 
suddenly,  '  I  wish  I  could  see  father  before  I  die.  I 
dreamed  of  him  last  night ;  it  was  an  awful  dream ; 
and  I  wish  I  might  tell  it  to  him  before  I  go.  It 
might  be  it  would  do  him  good,  and  win  his  heart 
from  his  dreadful  gold.'  And  so,  John,  I  got  this 
man  of  God  to  come  along  with  me,  that  he  might 
bear  witness  to  my  truth,  and  perhaps  speak  a  word  of 
wisdom  to  you." 

While  the  woman  had  been  speaking,  my  master 
had  stood  looking  at  her  with  the  same  scowl  on  his 
face,  and  the  same  hard,  suspicious  expression  in  his 
eyes.  Not  a  muscle  changed,  nor  a  line  softened.  So 
he  stood  a  moment,  glaring  at  them  ;  and  then  he 
said  to  the  minister,  wdio  was  leaning  on  his  cane,  — 
for  he  was  old  and  weak,  and  his  head  was  white  as 
snow,  —  "  Well,  what  have  you  got  to  say  ?  " 

"John  Roberts,"   said  the  old   man  solemnly,    "I 


THE  STOEY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  25 

have  much  to  say ;  for  I  bring  a  message,  not  from 
your  dying  child,  but  from  your  living  Lord.  I 
remember  when  I  baptized  you  as  a  child  at  the  altar, 
on  the  day  your  pious  parents  gave  you  in  holy 
covenant  to  God.  And  I  remember  when  I  married 
you  to  this  woman  here,  your  wife ;  and  I  remember 
your  early  promise,  and  the  happiness  you  had  your- 
self and  made  for  others,  until  the  lust  of  gold 
possessed  you.  And  I  have  known  your  downward 
path,  and  how  that  w^hicli  God  meant  for  good 
became,  by  your  perversion  of  its  use,  an  evil  to  you, 
—  yea,  an  evil  which  poisoned  all  your  life,  and 
changed  the  course  of  it ;  turned  you  against  your 
friends,  made  you  brutal  to  your  wife  and  child,  and 
brought  you  to  the  gate  of  hell,  where  you  now 
stand,  —  a  miserable  miser  !  All  this  I  have  watched 
and  seen  and  known  ;  and  all  this  I  have  warned  you 
against  time  and  again  in  past  years,  and  in  the  name 
of  Him  who  was  sold  to  death  by  a  miser  like  yourself. 
And  now  I  call  upon  you  to  repent,  and  by  true 
repentance  and  deep  contrition  find  mercy  in  Him 
whom  you  have  sold  out  of  your  heart  and  life,  and  in 
whose  eyes  you  are  another  Judas,  yet  lacking  repent- 
ance. Repent,  therefore,  and  return  to  your  right 
mind,  lest  a  worse  thing  fall  upon  you,  and  the  curse 
of  your  life  be  doubled  upon  you  in  your  death,  even 
that  as  you  are  now  deserted  of  man,  you  may  in  that 
dreadful  hour  find  yourself  deserted  of  God.  And 
as  for  your  child,  as  your  wife  has  said,  she  is  dying, 
and  she  has  asked  for  you.     She  bids  you  come    to 


26  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

her  before  she  dies.  For  God  has  spoken  to  her  in  a 
vision,  as  he  did  to  some  of  old,  and  revealed  to  her 
what  shall  be  if  you  repent  not, —  a  dreadful  death, 
in  a  wild  spot,  with  no  one  nigh,  and  a  darkness 
round  about  you  in  your  death-hour  like  the  darkness 
that  surrounds  the  damned, —  all  this  she  has  seen 
with  eyes  prepared  by  the  mystery  of  the  Unknown  to 
see  it ;  and  I  pray  you,  therefore,  as  one  standing  be- 
tween the  living  and  the  dead,  that  you  come  right 
speedily  and  see  your  child,  and  hear  her  message, 
lest  she  die,  and  leave  it  unspoken,  and  what  she  has 
seen  in  vision  be  realized  in  fact,  and  you  be  lost  in 
death  even  as  you  are  already  lost  in  life." 

He  paused,  and  his  face  shone  as  one  who  speaks 
beyond  the  measure  of  the  spirit  of  man, —  even  by 
the  measure  of  the  Spirit  of  God, —  and  his  aged 
hands  shook  ;  and  when  he  had  ended,  his  lips  con-, 
tinned  to  move,  as  one  who  follows  an  exhortation 
with  an  audible  prayer. 

But  my  master  remained  unmoved.  He  heard  the 
words  of  his  old  Pastor  as  he  had  the  words  of  his 
wife,  with  the  same  scowling,  sinister  look  in  his  eyes, 
the  same  set  doggedness  of  face,  the  same  sneering 
expression  on  his  lips.  He  stared  at  them  a  moment, 
and  then  shouted  :  — 

"  You  LIE  !  both  of  you,  —  you  want  my  money, 
you  mean  to  steal  it  from  me.  Everybody  wants  it ; 
there  isn't  an  honest  man  in  the  world.  All  are 
thieves.  All  love  gold.  You  do.  I  know  by  your 
looks  you  love  it.     You  can't  fool  me  by  your  tears 


THE  STORY  THAT  THE  KEO-    TOLD  ME.  27 

and  your  preaching.  You  get  out  of  this  house  or  I 
will  kill  you,"  and  he  swore  a  horrible  oath,  and 
stepping  back  a  step  he  seized  the  bludgeon  and 
swung  it  round  his  head,  and  stamped  his  foot  upon 
the  floor  and  swore  at  them  again  ;  his  eyes  glowed 
like  hot  coals,  and  the  froth  hung  on  his  lips.  The 
woman  ran  screaming  from  the  house,  but  the  old 
pastor  stood  his  ground,  and  faced  him,  and  said :  — 

"  John  Roberts,  thou  art  a  doomed  man.  Thou 
hast  denied  the  truth  and  resisted  the  Spirit,  and 
Satan  hath  thee  in  full  possession.  The  lust  of  gold 
that  destroys  many  is  in  thee  strong  and  mighty,  and 
only  God  can  save  thee,  nor  he  against  thy  will. 
Repent,  or  thou  shalt  perish  in  a  lonely  spot,  on  a 
dark  night,  with  none  to  help  nor  hear  thy  cries  ; 
and  thy  gold  shall  perish  with  thee."  And  so  saying, 
he  turned  and  slowly  left  the  house. 

For  a  moment  my  master  stood,  and  then  he  rushed 
for  the  door  and  locked  it,  and  slid  the  great  strong 
bars  into  their  sockets ;  and  then  he  came  and  lifted 
me  upon  the  table,  and  patted  me  with  his  hand,  and 
laughed  and  said :  "  My  gold  !  my  gold  !  "  And 
when  night  came  he  took  my  head  out  and  poured 
the  shining  pieces  upon  the  table,  and  played  with 
them  for  Hours  ;  and  then,  as  was  his  fashion,  he  fell 
to  counting  them  by  tens  in  the  same  manner  as  was 
his  custom,  saying :  "  One,  Two,  Three,  Four, 
Five,  Six,  Sevex,  Eight,  Nine,  Ten,  —  GOOD  ! " 
until  he  had  counted  them  to  the  very  last  one.  As 
he  counted  the  frenzy  grew  on  him,  and  when  his  task 


28  ADIROXDACK  TALES. 

was  over,  and  the  old  darkwood  table  was  all  yellow 
with  the  gold  pieces  lying  in  stacks  of  ten,  he  was 
wild  in  the  joy  of  his  terrible  lust.  He  leaped  and 
danced  around  the  glistening  coins,  and  shouted  till 
the  old  house  rang  :  ^'  Sixteen  Thousand  Six  Hun- 
dred AND  Sixty-six  !  " 

And  then  he  put  them  all  back  within  me,  fastened 
my  head  in  tightly,  laid  me  in  his  bed,  laid  himself 
beside  me,  and,  puttnig  an  arm  around  me,  he  fell 
asleep.  And  I  knew  that  over  the  old  house  the  stars 
were  shining  brightly,  and  that  above  the  stars  the 
Great  God,  with  eyes  that  never  slept,  was  looking 
calmly  down  on  him  and  me. 

But  when  he  woke  in  the  mornino-  he  was  not  as  he 
had  been,  but  more  nervous  and  savage-like.  He  did 
not  unbar  the  door  during  the  wdiole  day,  or  open  the 
heavy  shutters  an  inch,  but  kept  all  closed  and  dark. 
And  he  was  muttering  and  talking  to  himself  all  day. 
He  had  the  look  of  one  who  was  planning  some  deep 
plot,  nor  could  I  make  out  what  it  was  ;  but  I  caught 
enough  of  his  talk  to  know  that  he  was  more  suspi- 
cious of  losing  his  money  than  ever,  and  trusted  no 
one,  but  was  afraid  of  all  men,  known  and  unknown, 
and  was  thinking  and  planning  how  to  make  his 
money  safe,  and  get  me  to  some  spot  where  no  one 
could  steal  me.  Once  I  heard  him  say  :  '^  All  men 
are  thieves.  I  suspect  them  all.  No  one  with  money 
is  safe  among  them.  They  will  get  it  yet,  unless  I  go 
where  they  cannot  find  me."  Aad  then  he  w^ould 
curse  bis  kind,  and  swear. 


THE  STOUT  THAT  THE  KEG    TOLD  ME.  29 

At  last  lie  suddenly  stopped  in  his  tramping  up  and 
down  the  room,  and  shouted  :  — 

"  I'll  go,  go  where  they  cannot  find  me.  Go  where 
I  can  be  alone,  and  can  count  my  money  as  much  as  I 
wish,  in  the  broad  day,  under  the  bright  sun  or  stars, 
and  see  it  glint  and  glisten  in  the  bright  light. 
Won't  that  be  glorious!  —  to  be  alone  with  my 
money,  where  I  can  spread  it  all  out  in  broad  day  and 
see  it  shine,  and  count  it  over  and  play  with  it,  with 
no  one  nigh  to  scare  me  nor  make  me  hide  it  away, 
for  fear  of  its  being  seen  and  stolen.  Men,  curse 
them,  are  what  I  dread.  I  will  go  where  there  is  not 
a  man !  " 


CHAPTER   lY. 

THE    MISER    IN    THE    WOODS. 

"Gold,  gold,  gold,  gold, 
Bright  and  yellow,  hard  and  cold."  —  Hood. 

"  After  this  he  said  no  more,  but  packed  up  the  few 
things  he  had,  and  rolled  me  up  in  a  blanket,  and  put 
me  in  a  sack,  so  I  could  neither  see  nor  hear  a  single 
thing  that  was  done  or  said,  and  that  is  all  I' know  of 
what  happened  for  many  a  day,  only  I  knew  by  my 
feeling  that  I  was  being  carried,  carried,  CAR- 
RIED, over  rivers  and  mountains,  and  through  forests 
that  were  wide  and  deep,  until  one  day  I  felt  myself 
put  in  a  boat ;  and  on  we  went,  day  after  day,  night 
after  night,  until  one  afternoon,  I  knew  not  when, 
neither  the  year  nor  the  day,  the  boat  stopped,  the 
bag  in  which  I  was  was  carried  ashore,  and,  for  the 
first  time  for  many  a  day,  I  was  taken  out  of  it,  and  I 
saw  the  sunlight  once  more,  and  behold  !  I  was  on  the 
very  point  off  which  you  this  evening  found  me." 

And  here  the  keg  paused  a  moment,  as  one  who  is 
tired  of  rapid  talking,  or  oppressed  by  mournful  mem- 
ories ;  and  it  made  a  motion  as  if  it  would  sit  down, 
but  did  not.  But  it  put  one  little  hand  up  to  its  chin 
and  rested  for  a  moment  so,  and  I  thought  it  fetched  a 
little  sigh,  but  of  that  I  am  not  sure,   for  it  might 


THE  STOBY  THAT   THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  31 

have  been  a  puff  of  wind  playing  with  the  uppermost 
tuft  of  some  neighboring  pine,  or  the  sputtering  of  the 
fire,  for  that  matter ;  but  in  a  moment  it  began  again. 

"  You  must  pardon  my  stopping  a  moment,  but  I 
have  not  done  much  talking  for  many  a  year,  and  it 
really  takes  the  breath  out  of  me  ;  moreover,  one  of 
my  heads  is  gone,  and  that  makes  a  great  difference 
with  a  keg,  I  assure  you  ;  for  we  are  like  a  great  many 
men  who  manage  to  get  along  with  one  head,  but  no 
one  sees  how  they  do  it,  and  all  heartily  wish  they  had 
another  in  addition  to  the  one  they  have,  and  a  better 
one  too.  And  besides  I  am  getting  rather  old,  and  I 
doubt  if  I  live  much  longer  ;  for  ever  since  I  have 
been  standing  here,  by  the  fire,  I  have  felt  that  I 
might  fall  to  pieces  at  any  moment;"  and  the  keg  cast 
an  anxious  look  doAvn  over  itself,  and  then,  as  if  par- 
tially strengthened,  went  on  :  — 

"  Well,  things  continued  very  much  as  they  were 
at  the  old  house  for  several  weeks,  and  my  master 
seemed  happy  in  the  thought  that  he  had  got  beyond 
the  reach  of  men  and  the  danger  of  their  stealing  me 
and  what  I  had  in  me.  Every  day  when  the  sun 
shone  brightly,  he  would  take  me  down  to  the  point 
yonder,  from  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  pines,  where 
the  sun  shines  clearly,  and  pour  the  treasure  out  in 
one  great  pile  and  play  with  it  by  the  hour.  It 
seemed  to  please  him  greatly  to  see  the  yellow  coins 
shine  and  shimmer  in  the  briofht  lisfht,  and  he  would 
lie  in  the  sand  and  watch  the  sparkling  heap  by  the 
hour,  and  count  it  all  over  and  over  again,  and  laugh 


32  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

and  shout  while  doing  it  as  he  used  to  do  around  the 
old  table  when  we  were  in  the  house.  And  it  seemed 
more  dreadful  to  me  than  ever  before,  for  here  every- 
thing was  so  still  and  solemn,  and  the  sky  seemed  so 
grave,  the  sun  so  strong  and  bright,  and  the  moun- 
tains so  vast  and  majestic,  and  all  things  so  sugges- 
tive of  God  and  Eternity,  that  it  seemed  blasphemy 
for  a  human  beino^  to  be  thinkino^  so  much  of  his 
money.  Indeed,  the  sky  and  water  and  mountains, 
and  even  the  trees,  seemed  to  have  eyes  and  to  be 
looking  straight  down  at  him  as  he  sat  there  in  the 
sand  counting  his  money,  as  if  wondering  what  use  it 
could  all  be  to  him. 

But  after  a  time  I  could  see  that  a  change  was  com- 
ing over  my  master.  He  grew  grave  and  quiet,  and 
moved  about  in  a  noiseless  way,  very  unlike  his  old 
fashion  of  acting-  and  talkino^.  He  left  oif  countinor 
his  money  for  days  at  a  time,  and  when  he  did  count 
it,  it  was  in  a  listless  manner,  just  the  reverse  of 
his  old-time  fashion.  He  would  even  go  away  and 
leave  the  yellow  heap  on  the  sand  unwatched  and 
uncared  for,  while  he  sat  looking  at  the  shadow  of 
the  mountain  in  the  water,  or  lay  stretched  at  full 
length  on  his  back,  a  stone  for  his  pillow,  his  hands 
crossed  on  his  breast  and  his  eyes  gazing  fixedly  up 
at  the  heavens.  You  may  imagine  that  I  was  very 
much  puzzled  at  all  this,  and  wondered  what  it  all 
meant,  for  I  could  see  that  something  was  preying  on 
his  mind,  and  that  a  great  change  was  coming  over 
him. 


THE  STORY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  33 

One  day  lie  came,  and  packing  the  gold  within  me, 
put  the  head  in  with  the  greatest  care  ;  and  when  it 
was  done,  he  stood  looking  at  me  a  moment  and  then 
said,  "  I  think  I  will  never  open  you  again,"  and  he 
said  it  in  such  a  sad  sort  of  a  way  that  I  was  vastly 
puzzled.  Indeed,  I  did  not  believe  him,  hut  fancied 
that  he  was  not  feeling  over-well,  and  was  low-spirited 
because  of  it,  and  that  when  he  came  to  himself  he 
would  come  around  and  count  what  was  in  me  as 
happily  as  ever.  But  a  greater  surprise  was  in  store 
for  me  ;  for  when  he  went  to  the  camp,  which  was  in 
this  very  place  you  have  here  to-night,  he  did  not 
take  me  with  him,  but  left  me  there  alone  on  the 
beach.  I  did  not  think  much  of  it  at  first,  for  I  said 
to  myself,  he  will  be  back  by  and  by  and  carry  me  in 
with  him  to  the  camp  as  he  always  does ;  but  the 
minutes  passed  and  kept  j^assing  and  still  he  did  not 
come,  and  at  last  I  gave  him  up  and  decided  that  I 
must  pass  the  night  where  I  was,  alone.  Well,  as  you 
can  fancy,  I  felt  very  strangely  in  view  of  it,  and 
rather  nervously,  too,  for  I  had  never  spent  a  night 
alone  by  myself  since  my  master  owned  me,  or  outside  a 
house  or  tent  either,  for  that  matter  ;  so  as  I  have  said 
I  felt  a  little  nervous  about  it.  But  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  be  as  brave  as  I  might  and  put  as  good  a  face 
on  the  matter  as  I  could.  But  it  was  a  very  strange 
experience  I  had  that  night,  and  one  I  have  never  for- 
gotten. You  see  it  was  the  first  night  I  ever  spent 
alone  in  the  wilderness,  and  it  made  an  impression  on 
me  I  shall  never  forget;,  and  although  I    have    since 


34  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

passed  many  nights  alone  in  this  soHtary  spot,  yet 
never  has  there  been  one  to  me  Hke  that  first  one. 
The  shadows  of  the  mountains  were  so  dark  and 
heavy  that  they  appeared  to  burden  the  lake  as  with  a 
ponderous  bulk,  and  the  very  water  that  reflected  their 
vast  sides  seemed  oppressed  by  their  presence.  The 
sky  was  blue-black  ;  a  grave  and  sombre  sky  it  was. 
In  it  only  a  few  stars  shone,  and  those  with  shortened 
beams.  The  silence  was  like  an  atmosphere.  It 
rested  upon  the  mountains,  brooded  on  the  water,  and 
slept  amid  the  shadows  of  the  still  trees.  And  yet, 
dark  as  it  was,  I  felt  that  in  it  there  was  an  eye,  andj 
silent  as  it  was,  I  felt  that  out  of  it  would  come  a 
voice  —  an  Eye  that  looked  in  steady  but  un wrathful 
condemnation  upon  me,  and  a  Voice  that  spoke  in 
solemn  judgment,  although  with  inaudible  tones. 

It  seemed  as  if  the  sin  of  my  master  was  being 
charged  upon  me,  and  that  the  whole  universe  was 
visiting  upon  me  its  contempt.  0  sir !  I  saw  strange 
sights  that  night,  and  heard  sounds  that  made  me 
shrink  in  fear  within  my  hoops.  Bands  of  angels  all 
robed  in  white,  and  flying  on  white  wings,  came  and 
stood  poised  in  the  air  above  me,  and  pointed  at  me 
with  their  white  hands,  and  as  they  gazed,  their  sweet 
faces  dihited  with  horror.  Devils,  too,  great  black 
beings  and  things  that  were  shapeless,  whose  faces 
were  those  of  hell,  and  eyes  bloodshot  with  torture, 
came,  and  poising  above  me,  would  point  with  their 
black  fingers  insultingly  downward,  and  laugh  with 
horrid  mirth  j  then  sail  away  until  their  black  wings 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD   ME.  35 

faded  in  the  farther  gloom.  And  I  heard  moans  m 
the  air  as  of  a  woman  moaning-  for  bread ;  and 
prayers  as  of  a  dying  child,  dying  with  a  dread  at 
her  heart  for  some  one  whose  sin  lay  on  her  soul ; 
and  sounds  as  of  many  noises  mixed  in  one  ;  prayers 
and  curses,  oaths  and  snatches  of  hymns.  And  out 
of  the  stillness  of  the  outward  space  —  the  stillness 
of  the  far-off  and  the  far-up  and  the  beyond,  I 
seemed  to  hear  a  great  voice  continually  saying : 
"  The  man  that  loveth  money  overmuch  is 
DOOMED.     The  man  that  loveth  money  ovehmuch 

IS  DOOMED." 

"  At  last  the  sun  rose,  and  right  glad  w\as  I  to  see 
it,  but  little  did  I  dream,  wdien  I  saAv  it  come  up  over 
the  mountain  yonder,  what  would  happen  before  it 
rose  again.  For  of  all  days  in  my  life  that  was  the 
most  eventful,  and  I  do  not  expect  you  to  believe  me 
when  I  tell  you  wdiat  took  place  in  it ;  but  I  shall  tell 
you  the  truth,  nevertheless,  and  of  things  just  as  they 
happened. 

About  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  my  master  came 
to  the  point  where  I  w^as,  and  his  face  w^as  as  I  had 
never  seen  it  before.  It  was  the  face  of  a  man  who 
had  suffered  much,  and  was  suffering.  His  hair  lay 
matted  on  his  damp  forehead  ;  his  eyes  were  blood- 
shot ;  his  teeth  set,  and  his  mouth  white  at  the 
corners,  while  his  hands  were  clinched  as  the  hands  of 
one  in  a  spasm.  He  came  and  stood  directly  over  me, 
and  in  a  voice  hard  and  strained  said  :  — 

"  For  thee,  thou  cursed  gold,  I  have  wasted  my  life 
and  ruined  my  soul." 


36  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

This  he  said  many  times.  Then  he  walked  away 
and  stood  and  talked  to  himself ;  and  I  heard  him 
say  :  "  He  said,  '  Unless  you  repent,  you  shall  die  on 
a  dark  night,  in  a  lonely  spot,  with  no  one  nigh.'  " 
And  he  kept  repeating,  '^  On  a  dark  night,  in  a  lonely 
spot,  with  no  one  nigh."  And  then  he  would  look 
around  him  at  the  trees  and  the  mountains  and  the 
solitary  shores. 

After  a  while  he  began  to  walk  up  and  down  the 
point,  and  wring  his  hands  and  smite  them  on  his 
breast,  and  cry  out :  "  Oh  !  if  I  could  do  it !  Oh ! 
if  1  COULD  do  it !  Perhaps  there  would  be  hope  for 
me ;  perhaps  there  would  be  hope  for  ME  !  "  And  he 
would  em})hasize  the  ME  in  such  a  plaintive,  pitiful 
tone  as  was  never  done,  I  think,  by  man  before. 
Once  he  got  down  on  his  knees,  and  clasped  his  hands 
together,  and  I  wondered  what  he  was  going  to  do, 
for  I  had  never  seen  a  man  in  that  position  before, 
and  it  looked  so  queer  ;  but  in  an  instant  he  leaped  to 
his  feet  and  cried :  "  NO,  NO  !  It  is  no  use.  For- 
giveness is  not  for  me ;  forgiveness  is  not  for  me." 

And  so  the  day  passed,  and  a  fine  day  it  was,  too, 
for  though  my  master  was  in  such  trouble,  and  the 
grip  of  a  dire  distress  was  on  him,  yet  the  sun  took 
no  note  of  it,  but  shone  as  brightly  in  the  sky,  and 
the  trees  swung  as  merrily  to  and  fro  as  the  breeze 
blew  through  them,  and  the  ripples  ran  laughing 
along  the  curved  beach  as  if  there  were  never  such  a 
thing  as  human  trouble  in  the  world. 

Toward  night,  just  before  the  sun  went  down,  my 


THE  SrOFY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD   ME  37 

master  came,  and  taking  my  head  out,  stood  for  a 
while  looking  at  the  gold  within  me  ;  then  he  said 
slowly  to  himself :  "  Perhaps  I  may  have  strength  to 
do  it ;  perhaps  I  may  have  strength  to  do  it."  And 
then  he  sat  down  on  the  sand  and  gazed  far  off,  as 
one  whose  thoughts  are  not  in  his  eyes.  And  there, 
in  the  one  spot,  without  moving,  he  sat,  while  the  sun 
went  down,  the  shadows  of  evening  settled  slowly  and 
darkly  on  shore  and  lake  and  mountain  range,  until 
at  last  night  like  a  mantle  lay  darkly  on  the  world. 
There,  in  the  stillness,  my  master  sat,  his  face  hidden 
by  the  gloom,  thinking  —  I  knew  not  what.  At  last 
he  moved  ;  and,  as  if  too  weak  to  rise,  crawled  along 
on  the  sand  to  my  side,  and  steadying  himself  on  his 
knees,  he  placed  his  hands  together,  and  lifting  his 
face  to  the  dark  blue  heaven  above,  found  speech,  and 
beo^an  to  talk  to  One  I  could  not  see  :  — 

"  0  Thou,  who  art  the  Lord  of  this  great  world ; 
whose  eyes  see  every  creature  thou  hast  made ;  and 
whose  ear  is  oj^en  to  their  cry,  see  me  to-night  and 
hear  my  prayer.  Bound  have  I  been,  and  bound  I 
am,  to  sin.  My  soul,  pursued  by  evil,  knows  not 
wdiere  to  flee.  My  life  has  been  a  hell,  and  out 
of  hell  I  seek  deliverance  here  and  now.  Come  to 
my  aid  or  I  am  lost !  Save  me  in  mercy  or  I  am 
doomed !  Give  thou  me  strength,  for  I  am  weak, 
and  may  not  do  what  I  would  do,  without  thy  aid. 
Out  of  this  stillness  speak  to  me.  Here  wdiere  no 
man  may  hear,  hear  thou  my  cry.  Thou  Lord  of 
heavenly  mercy,  lend  me  thine  aid  !  " 


38  ADTBOXnACK   TALES. 

He  paused,  and  rising  to  his  feet,  lifted  me,  and 
started  toward  the  bushes  where  he  kept  his  boat, 
and  placing  me  in  it  shoved  out  upon  the  lake, 
and  paddled  toward  the  centre,  saying  slowly  and 
solemnly  to  himself  :  — 

"  Lend  me  thine  aid,  0  Lord  !  Lend  me  thine 
aid  ! "  At  last  we  reached  the  centre  of  the  lake, 
and  having  checked  the  boat,  he  sat  for  a  moment 
without  saying  a  word  ;  then  lifting  his  face  upward 
he  said  in  a  low,  sweet  voice :  ''  Dear  Lord,  thou 
hast  given  of  thy  strength.  I  thank  thee,"  —  then 
raised  me  in  his  arms  and  "  — 

A  rattle  and  a  crash,  as  of  pieces  of  wood  falling 
suddenly  in  a  heap,  and  my  eyes  came  open  with  a 
snap.  My  fire  had  smouldered  down,  and  a  thin 
column  of  blue  smoke  was  rising,  unattended  by 
flame,  in  a  wavy  spiral  through  the  air.  The  moon 
had  found  an  opening  in  the  pines  overhead,  and  was 
pouring  its  white  beams  upon  the  whiter  ashes.  The 
keg  I  had  picked  from  the  lake,  heated  by  the  fire, 
had  shrunken  in  its  staves  until  the  rusty  iron  bands 
afforded  them  no  support ;  and  shaken  by  the  slight 
jar  of  a  crumbling  brand,  or  falling  pine-cone,  per- 
haps, had  tumbled  inward  and  lay  in  a  confused  heap. 
I  rubbed  my  eyes,  stretched  out  my  chilled  legs,  and 
said  to  myself :  "  What  a  queer  dream !  I  really 
thought  that  keg  was  talking  to  me.  If  it  had  kept 
on  much  longer  it  would  have  persuaded  me  that  the 
old  fellow,  its  master,  or  his  ghost,  is  actually  on  this 
lake  now.     Egad  !     I  think  it  would  start  even    my 


THE  STOBT  THAT   THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  39 

pulse  a  little  to  see  a  man  in  a  boat  on  this  lake  to- 
nioflit." 

Half  laughing  to  myself  at  the  silly  suggestion 
that  my  fancy  had  made,  I  rose  to  my  feet,  stretched 
myself,  ya\Yned,  and  stepping  down  to  the  edge  of 
the  water  looked  out  upon  the  lake.  I  am  not 
ashamed  to  say  that  I  started,  and  the  blood  chilled  a 
little  in  my  veins  at  what  I  saw.  There,  off  the 
point,  within  twenty  feet  of  where  I  found  the  keg, 
loas  a  boat  and  a  man  sitting  in  it  —  motionless  as 
if  earned  from  the  air  I 


CHAPTER  Y. 

JOHN  NORTON,  THE  TRAPPER. 

"  Nature's  ncl)lenian."  —  Thompson. 

Well,  I  will  admit  that  I  was  surprised,  greatly 
surprised,  for  1  knew  that  there  was  not  a  living- 
being  on  that  lake  at  sunset  —  nor  had  there  been 
for  days,  or  years  for  that  matter  :  for  there  is  no 
place  in  all  the  world,  save  cities,  where  man  can  go 
and  stay  even  a  night  and  not  leave  marks  of  his  pres- 
ence, and  on  all  this  lake  shore  there  was  not  a  trace 
of  any  human  being.  Yet  in  spite  of  all  this  evidence 
forbidding  the  supposition,  there  sat  a  man,  paddle  in 
hand,  in  a  boat,  not  forty  rods  from  where  I  stood. 
I  knew  that  I  was  well  concealed  from  view,  for  the 
shadows  in  which  I  stood  were  as  dark  as  the  matted 
branches  of  the  rich  cedars  that  lined  the  lake  shore 
and  projected  outward  over  the  water  could  make  them  ; 
and  so  I  kept  my  station,  without  moving  an  inch,  and 
watched. 

For  a  full  moment  the  boat  lay  on  the  level  water 
as  if  it  had  groAvn  up  out  of  it,  and  was  a  part  of  the 
lake  itself,  so  steadfastly  did  it  hold  its  place ;  and  I 
could  well  guess  what  was  passing  in  the  mind  of  him 
whose  form  was  as  motionless  as  the  boat,  but  whose 
eyes  I  knew  were  searching  every  inch  of  the  shore 


THE  STOnY  THAT  THE  KEd  TOLD  ME.  41 

line,  and  whose  thoughts  were  as  busy  as  his  eyes. 
He  had  evidently  come  round  the  point  as  little  ex- 
pecting the  presence  of  man  as  I  had  anticipated  his, 
and  some  flitting  spark,  or  the  gleam  of  some  coal,  — 
or  likelier  yet  the  thin  filament  of  blue  smoke  rising 
from  the  smouldering  and  ash-covered  embers,  —  had 
cauoht  his  eve  and  brouo'ht  his  boat  to  a  stand  as 
quickly  as  a  reversed  paddle  could  do  it.  In  a 
moment  the  boat  began  to  move ;  so  slowly,  so 
easily,  so  steadily,  that  the  eye  could  scarcely  detect 
the  movement.  I  laughed  silently  to  myself  to  see 
the  familiar  motion  of  ambushing  a  camp  from  the 
water  side,  done  so  skilfully.  For  whoever  he  was, 
or  whatever  his  errand,  the  man  in  that  boat  knew 
how  to  handle  a  paddle  as  only  a  few  ever  learn  the 
art,  —  to  perfection.  His  body  never  moved.  The 
bent  posture  of  it  never  changed.  His  head  kept  its 
fixed  position.  The  arms  worked  from  the  shoulder- 
sockets,  and  were  lifted  with  a  movement  so  slow  and 
gradual  that  the  eye  which  would  measure  their  exten- 
sion and  return  must  needs  be  keen  of  sight,  nor  lose 
its  observation  by  a  wink.  The  boat  did  not  start  — 
it  simply  ceased  to  stand  still;  but  that  fraction  of 
an  instant  at  which  it  ceased  to  stand  still  and  besfan 
to  move  no  human  eye  could  tell.  Slowly,  slowly, 
so  slowly  that  at  times  I  doubted  if  it  did  move  at  all, 
the  boat  came  floating  on.  For  ten  minutes  it  had 
been  moving,  and  yet  it  had  barely  covered  as  many 
rods.  Then  the  motion  of  the  arms  died  out  in  the 
air,  and  the  boat  again  stood  still.     But  the  body  of 


42  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

the  boatman  still  kept  its  fixed  position,  and  the  arms 
still  hung  suspended  in  the  atmosphere,  where  they 
were  when  the  will  o£  the  paddler  had  checked  them. 

"  By  Jove  !  "  I  said  to  myself,  "  that  man  acts  as  i£ 
he  wants  to  murder  some  one,  or  fears  some  one  will 
murder  him  :  but  he  understands  how  to  do  a  job  like 
the  one  he  is  at,  and  I  would  like  to  know^  how  long 
it  has  taken  him  to  learn  that  use  of  the  paddle." 

A  few  minutes  passed,  then  the  arms  began  to  rise 
and  fall  again,  and  the  boat  stole  slowly  into  motion. 
Again  ten  rods  were  covered ;  and  again  the  little  boat 
came  to  a  pause.  It  was  now  barely  fifty  yards  away, 
and  the  full  moon  made  it  an  easy  matter  to  study 
quite  closely  both  the  boat  and  boatman.  The  boat 
was  of  the  common  build,  sliarj)  at  either  end,  low- 
sided  and  light.  In  the  bow  was  a  pack-basket, 
while  a  hound  lay  crouched  in  the  middle.  A  rifle 
w^as  resting  across  the  paddler's  knees.  Of  his  face 
I  could  discern  little,  because  the  moon  was  at  his 
back.  In  a  moment  he  laid  the  paddle  softly  across 
the  boat ;  lifted  his  rifle  as  noiselessly  from  his  knees, 
and  rose  slowly  to  his  feet.  All  this  had  been  done  as 
only  a  skilled  boatman  and  woodman  could  do  it :  not 
a  jerk  or  awkward  motion  in  the  process  ;  it  was  done 
coolly,  deliberately,  and  without  the  least  suggestion  of 
a  sound. 

"  Few  men  could  have  lifted  themselves  from  their 
seat  in  a  boat  like  that  in  the  style  he  has  done  it,"  I 
said  to  myself,  "  and  few  dogs  would  lie  as  that  dog 
lies,  in  a  boat  manoeuvred  as  that  has  been  for  the 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  43 

past  twenty  minutes,  without  stirring  nose  or  foot.     I 
wonder  he  has  not  scented  me." 

That  very  instant,  even  as  the  thought  was  passing 
in  mv  mind,  mv  ear  cauodit  the  sound  of  the  lowest 
possible  whine  from  the  hound  ;  but  his  body  never 
stirred,  and  his  nose,  active  as  it  must  have  been,  never 
lifted  itself  a  hand's  width  from  its  resting  place  on 
the  bottom  of  the  boat. 

"Halloo,  the  camp  there!"  said  the  man  in  the 
boat  suddenly.  "Be  ye  sleepmg  or  dead,  man  or 
ghost,  Avliom  I  find  in  this  lonely  spot  to-night?" 

"  Not  dead,  or  asleep,"  I  answered,  speaking  from 
the  dense  o-loom  of  the  overhano-incr  cedar ;  "  but 
wide  aAvake  and  watchful  as  it  behooves  a  man  to  be, 
in  a  place  like  this,  mth  a  man  ambushing  his  camp 
in  the  dead  of  nioht.  Put  down  your  rifle  and 
come  into  camp  if  you  Avant  to.  The  sound  of  a 
human  voice  coming  out  of  your  throat  makes  me 
feel  friendly,  whoever  you  are.  Come  in,  and  I  will 
stir  up  the  fire  and  we  can  see  how  w^e  like  each 
other's  looks." 

So  saying,  I  stepped  back  to  where  my  wood  was 
piled,  and  proceeded  to  thrust  a  dozen  pitchy  knots 
and  a  huge  roll  of  white  birch-bark  into  the  embers. 
The  few  remainino^  coals  beneath  the  ashes  cauo^ht 
eagerly  at  the  pitch  thus  thrust  against  them,  and 
after  an  instant's  sputtering  the  inflammable  mate- 
rial leaped  suddenly  into  a  roaring  flame.  As  the 
blaze  shot  upward,  I  rose  from  my  knees,  on  which 
I  had    dropped    to  give    the  embers  an  encouraging 


44  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

puffj  and  the  man,  leaning  on  his  paddle-staff,  with 
the  hound  crouched  at  his  feet,  stood  before  me. 

For  a  moment  we  stood  and  looked  at  each  other, 
as  two  men  might,  meeting  for  the  first  time,  at 
such  an  hour,  in  such  a  place, —  looked  each  other 
over  thoroughly,  from  head  to  foot,  and  then  sat- 
isfied, at  least  on  my  part,  I  said  :  — 

"  Old  man,  you  are  welcome." 

"Thank  ye;  thank  ye,"  replied  my  visitor.  "I 
shouldn't  have  dropped  in  upon  ye  in  this  onseemly 
way,  and  at  sech  an  onseemly  hour,  but  the  line  of 
yer  smoke  took  me  onawares  like  as  I  turned  the 
p'int  yender,  for  I  didn't  expect  to  find  a  human 
bein'  on  these  shores,  and  I  half-doubted  ef  a 
mortal  man  was  here,  till  my  hound  got  yer  scent 
in  his  nose  aud  signalled  me  that  flesh  and  blood 
was  nigh.  And  so  I  ax  yer  pardin  for  comin'  in 
on  ye  as  I  did,  more  like  a  thief  than  an  honest 
man ;  but  I  have  memories  of  this  spot  that  made 
me  think  strange  things,  and  fear  that  all  was  not 
right.     Young  man,  what  may  yer  name  be  ?  " 

"  I  am  called,  when  at  home,  Henry  Herljert,"  I 
said,  "  but  you  can  split  it  in  the  middle  if  it 
would  fit  your  mouth  better  in  that  way,  and  take 
it  half  at  a  time,  and  call  me  Henry  or  Herbert 
as  you  please ;  for  I  know  one  about  as  well  as  I 
do  the  other,  and  answer  to  either  pretty  readily ; 
and  since  you  are  getting  on  in  years,  and  are  old 
enough  to  be  my  father,  with  a  good  liberal  margin 
at  that,    you    had  better    take    the  first    half    of    it; 


THE  SrOli  Y  rilA  T  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  45 

and  so,  if  you  please,  you   may   call    me    Henry   for 
short." 

"  Well,  Henry,"  said  the  old  man,  and  there  came 
a  beaming  look  of  good  nature  into  his  eyes  as  he 
s^ioke,  \yith  the  least  t^vinkle  of  humor  playing  in 
and  penetrating  the  beneyolence  of  it,  "  I  am  gittin' 
pritty  well  on  in  years,  and  ye  don't  seem  much 
more  than  a  youngster  to  me,  although  ye  haye 
managed  to  git  a  pritty  good  growth  in  the  time  ye 
haye  been  at  it;  and  perhaps  their  comin'  and  goin' 
has  put  some  things  inside  my  head  that  boys  can't 
be  expected  to  git,  while  they  haye  been  whitenin' 
the  outside  of  it;  so,  mayhaps,  it  is  well  enough 
that  I  should  call  ye  by  yer  Christian  name,  as  ef 
I  was  yer  own  father ;  although  I  have  never  had  a 
boy  of  my  own,  or  a  wife  or  home  either,  for  that 
matter ;  onless  ye  can  call,  these  woods  a  home  ;  for  I 
have  seed  sixty  years  come  and  go  sence  I  came  into 
them,  and  the  Lord  has  cared  for  me  in  summer's 
heat  and  winter's  cold  through  them  all, —  so  well 
that  I  haven't  had  a  wish  for  other  company  than 
I  have  found  with  the  animils  and  thino^s  He  has 
made,  or  for  any  other  home  than  He  has  builded 
for  me  by  His  own  hands."  And  the  old  man 
paused  a  moment,  and  looked  lovingly  down  at  the 
hound  Avhich  lay  stretched  at  his  feet,  with  his  muz- 
zle resting  on  his  paAvs,  as  if,  in  the  dog,  I  could  see 
one  of  the  companions  which  had  supplied  with 
affection  a  heart  that  had  missed  the  love  of  wife 
and  children. 


46  ADIEOXDACK   TALES. 

"  Yis,"  he  continued,  "  the  woods  have  been  a  home 
for  me  for  the  number  of  years  that  measure  the  Hfe 
of  mortal  man,  and  there  be  leetle  in  them  I  haven't 
seed,  and  few  be  the  noises  that  natur'  makes  that  my 
ears  haven't  heerd  ;  and  I  know  all  their  paths  and 
their  ways  as  well  as  a  man  in  the  settlements  knows 
his  door-yard.     But  that  ain't  neither  here  nor  there," 
—  as  if  he  was  conscious  of  having  fallen  into  a  mus- 
ing mood,  and  would  check  himself  —  "that's  neither 
here  nor  there,"   he  continued,   "  and   I   am   glad   to 
have  run  agin  ye  here  to-night,  although  the  seemin' 
of  things  was  agin  me.     For  I  did  ambush  yer  camp 
as  a  thief  or  a  half-breed  might ;  but  I  was  taken  on- 
awares  by  yer  camp  smoke,  and  startled,  as  ye  would 
well  understand  to  be  reasonable  in  me,  did  ye  know 
what  I  know  of  this  spot,  and  the  strange  goin's  on 
that  has  been  here  years  agone,  as  I  know  them  ;  and 
it  seems  queer  to  me   to  find  a  livin'  bein'  to-night 
where  I  thought  there  was  only  a  dead  man's  grave. 
But  I  am  glad  to  have  run  agin   ye,  Henry  Herbert, 
for  I  have  heerd  of  ye  many  times  in  the  last  ten 
years,  as  one  who  loved  the  woods  and  the  way  men 
live  in  them,  and  knowed  the  proper  use  of  a  rifle, 
and  how  to  handle  the  paddle  as  some  born  to  the  use 
of  it  never  larn  it ;  and  I  have  heerd  that  yer  eye  was 
keen  and  finger  sure,  as  a  hunter's  should  be,  and  that 
ye  let  no  buck  run  off  with  yer  lead,  but  dropped  him 
dead  in  his  tracks  where  he  stood  —  which  be  marcif  ul 
and  decent  in  a  man  who  handles  a  rifle.     And  I  have 
heerd,  mor'over,  that  ye  loved  to  be  alone,  and  to  find 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  3IE.  47 

things  out  that  natur'  never  tells  to  a  company ;  and 
that  ye  boated  up  and  down  through  the  Avoods  all 
by  yerself,  sleepin'  where  night  overtook  ye  like  an 
honest  man,  and  I  knowed  that  I  should  some  day 
cross  yer  trail  and  jine  ye  ;  but  I  leetle  thought  to 
run  agin  ye  here  to-night,  for  I'd  no  idee  that  mortal 
man  knowed  this  lake,  save  me  and  him  whose  body  I 
buried  here  eleven  years  gone  this  fall."  And  the  old 
man  paused,  seated  himself  on  the  butt  of  a  log,  and 
gazed  with  a  solemn  look  in  his  face  into  the  fire. 

I  did  not  feel  quite  like  breaking  in  on  his  medita- 
tions, whatever  they  might  be ;  and  so  I  stood  and 
looked  at  him.     In  a  few  moments  he  began  :  — 

"  I  ax  yer  pardin  ef  it  be  axin'  too  much  of  ye,  but 
I've  fetched  my  boat  through  fifty  mile  to-day,  and 
it's  nigh  on  twenty  hours  sence  I've  tasted  food :  not 
but  that  I  could  have  had  enouo^h  —  for  I  run  aofin  a 
buck  on  Salmon  Lake  this  arternoon  jest  as  the  sun 
was  goin'  doAvn,  that  was  big  enough  to  keep  a  Dutch 
parson  in  venison  for  a  w^eek,  and  that  sizes  him  pritty 
big,  as  ye  know,  ef  ye  ever  camped  with  one  of  'em  " 
—  and  the  old  man  opened  his  mouth  and  laughed  a 
peculiar,  good-natured  laugh,  that  showed  more  on  the 
face  than  it  gave  forth  noise  —  "  but  I  was  in  a  hurry 
to  git  through  here  and  couldn't  stop  to  dry  him,  and 
I  never  settle  lead  into  any  cretur  I  can't  use  for 
meat,  onless  it  be  a  fur-bearin'  animil  or  a  wicked  pan- 
ther. So  I  jest  paddled  up  to  him  ontil  I  could  flirt 
some  water  onto  his  shoulders,  and  I  landed  about  two 
quarts  on  his  back,  and  the  way  the  cretur  jumped  sot 


48  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

my  eyes  swimmin'."  And  here  the  old  man  laughed 
again  m  his  own  peculiar  fashion.  ''  But,  as  I  was 
sayin',  I  haven't  tasted  food  sence  the  last  day  daw^n, 
and  feel  sort  of  empty  like  ;  and  somehow  latterly  the 
nioht  mists  seem  to  grit  into  me  more'n  thev  used  to 
when  I  was  younger,  for  age  thins  the  blood,  and  cools 
it,  too,  for  that  matter  ;  an'  ef  ye  feel  like  botherin' 
yerself  that  much  ye  may  cook  me  a  pot  of  tea  and 
give  me  a  cold  cake,  ef  one  be  lyin'  round  ;  and  ef  ye 
huppen  to  have  a  bit  of  buck  ye  fear  Avon't  keep  till 
mornin'  I  guess  I  could  keep  it  for  ye  in  a  spot  where 
I've  put  a  good  deal  of  the  meat  in  the  last  sixty 
year ;  "  and  the  old  man  laughed  again,  in  his  hearty, 
noiseless  manner,  as  if  greatly  pleas3d  at  his  own 
homely  and  innocent  wit. 

"  Old  man,"  said  T,  "  you  just  sit  on  that  log  a  few 
minutes,  and  I  will  give  you  a  drink  of  tea  that  will 
warm  your  blood  as  if  forty  years  had  been  taken  from 
your  record  ;  and  as  for  cold  cakes,  I  don't  keep  that 
article,  but  here  is  some  batter  —  and  I  uncovered  a 
pan  standing  a  little  back  from  the  fire  —  "that  will 
make  cakes  so  lis^lit  that  you  will  have  to  hold  them 
down  with  your  fork  ;  and  look  at  that "  — and  I  swung 
out  of  my  birch  bark  cupboard  a  roll  of  tenderloin 
steak  twelve  or  fourteen  inches  long  —  "I'll  spit  that 
for  you  so  that  it  will  dissolve  in  your  mouth,  and  go 
down  your  throat  like  honey ;  and  you  and  I  will  have 
a  feast  that  will  make  us  feel  as  full  as  a  doe  in  the 
lily-pads,  —  for  I  know^  wdiom  I  have  for  my  guest  to- 
night as  well  as  if  you  had  told  me  your  name,  and  right 


THE  STOEY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  49 

glad  am  I  to  have  the  best  shot  that  ever  drew  bead, 
and  the  best  boatman  that  ever  feathered  paddle,  and 
as  honest  a  man  as  ever  drew  breath,  in  my  camp, 
and  there's  my  hand,  and  you  are  welcome  to  all  I 
have  in  my  pack,  and  to  all  I  can  do  for  you,  John 
Norton  " —  and  I  stretched  my  hand  out  to  him, 
who  met  its  palm  with  his  own  in  a  hearty,  hunter- 
like grip. 

"  Well,  well,"  laughed  the  old  man,  as  he  re-seated 
himself  on  the  log,  while  I  bestirred  myself  Avith  prep- 
arations for  the  meal,  "  I  sorter  suspicioned  that  ye 
knowed  who  I  was,  but  I  didn't  know  for  sartin  ;  for 
ye  carry  a  mighty  steady  face,  and  ye  didn't  let  on 
with  yer  eyes  what  ye  was  thinkin'  about,  as  most 
youngsters  do ;  but  I  take  yer  welcome  in  the  same 
Avay  ye  give  it,  and  ef  old  John  Norton  can  do  any- 
thing to  make  yer  stay  in  the  woods  more  pleasant-like 
to  ye,  or  larn  ye  any  trick  of  beast  or  bird,  or  tell  ye 
anything  of  natur's  ways  that  ye  haven't  larnt  as  yit 
—  ye  may  depend  on  it,  young  man,  that  he  will  larn 
it  to  ye ;  " —  and  so  saying  he  relapsed  into  silence, 
but  watched  me  steadily  as  I  kept  on  with  my  work. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  bark  that  served  for  a  table 
was  put  in  front  of  him,  with  the  plates  and  cups,  the 
pepper,  salt,  sugar,  and  such  other  luxuries  as  my 
pack  afforded,  and  I  poured  the  old  man  a  cup  of  the 
best  that  ever  came  from  Formosa,  while  I  kept  on 
turninof  the  cakes  and  the  steak. 

"  Well,  now,  that's  the  best  tea  I  ever  tasted,  for 
sartin,"  said  the  old  man,  as  he  sipped  the  stimulat- 


50  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

ing  beverage  —  "  it's  as  smooth  as  spring  water,  and 
goes  down  a  man's  throat  as  easy  as  an  otter  goes  into 
a  crick.  I  never  tasted  drink  that  the  Lord  hadn't 
made,  for  sixty  year  of  my  life,  bnt  latterly,  'specially 
at  night,  or  when  over-tired,  it  does  seem  to  me  that 
a  few  leaves  of  tea  jediciously  steeped  as  ye  have  done 
it,  sort  of  streno^thens  the  water  and  makes  a  kind  of 
improvement  on  the  Lord's  own  work,  ef  it  be  right 
for  a  mortal  to  say  so ;  leastwise,"  he  added,  as 
he  took  a  deeper  quaff,  "this  is  mighty  pleasant 
warmin'  to  the  ribs,  and  sort  of  makes  a  man  feel 
inhabited-like  inside,  and  not  empty  as  a  cabin  with 
nobody  in  it;"  and  the  look  of  placid  contentment 
that  came  to  the  old  man's  face  was  a  picture  to  see. 

By  this  time  the  meal  was  ready,  and  we  sat  down 
on  either  side  of  the  bark  table,  in  the  glow  of  the 
firelight,  to  eat. 

"  Henry,"  said  the  old  man,  as  he  drew  his  hunting 
knife  throuoh  the  tenderloin  roll,  and  marked  the 
ruddy  juices  that  oozed  out,  and  the  puff  of  odorous 
steam  which  ascended  as  the  blade  clove  it,  "  this  meat 
is  cooked  hunter-like,  and  sort  of  encourages  the  teeth 
to  git  into  the  centre  of  it.  I  have  often  noted  that 
cookin'  was  a  kind  of  gift,  and  couldn't  be  larnt  out 
of  books,  no  more  than  holdin'  a  rifle  or  featherin'  a 
paddle  properly  can  be  larnt  in  the  settlements.  The 
Lord  gives  one  man  one  set  of  gifts  and  another 
another,  and  cookin'  and  huntin'  be  things  of  natur', 
and  not  of  readin',  and  they  don't  often  go  all  of 
them  to  one  man,  although  in  yer  case,  Henry,  the 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  3IE.  51 

Lord  has  been  very  marciful  and  aracions-like  in  his 
treatment  of  ye,  —  for  I  have  heerd  ye  be  a  great 
scholar,  and  love  the  knowledge  that  the  schools  give  ; 
and  I  have  many  things  I  want  to  ax  ye  of  —  things 
I  have  heerd,  but  that  seem  onreasonable  to  me  ;  but, 
depend  on  it,  Henry,  the  best  gift  the  Lord  has  given 
ye  is  yer  love  of  natur'  and  the  things  that  go  with 
it  —  a  keen  eye,  a  quick  finger,  a  strong  back,  and  a 
conscience  that  can  meet  him  in  the  solitude  of  these 
waters  and  hills  and  not  be  afeered ;  for  a  wicked  man 
can't  bear  the  presence  of  the  Maker  of  these  soli- 
tudes, as  I  have  good  reason  to  know"  —  and  here 
the  old  man  paused  a  moment  and  gazed  steadily  into 
the  fire.  "  Yis,"  he  resumed,  "  it  is  w^onderful  that  he 
should  have  gin  ye  the  love  of  books  and  of  natur' 
both,  but  I  dare  to  say  he  has  his  favorites,  as  I  have 
often  noticed  mothers  have  among  their  childun,  and 
I  can  see  jest  how^  it  may  be  with  him ;  but  how  he 
came  to  give  ye  the  gift  of  cookin'  wdth  all  the  other 
ones,  is  wonderful,  and  I  can't  understand  it,  but  —  " 
A  Ions:,  loud  cry,  which  beo-innino;  with  a  thin  whine 
and  swelling  into  a  terrific  yell,  arose  into  the  still  air, 
from  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  held  possession  of  the 
atmosphere  for  a  full  minute,  then  died  away  in  suc- 
cessive echoes,  leaving  the  stillness  deeper  than  before 
the  terrible  sound  disturbed  it,  broke  suddenly  in  upon 
the  old  man's  speech.  For  a  full  minute  he  sat 
motionless,  wdth  his  fork  half-way  between  the  plate 
and  his  mouth,  and  his  mouth  half-opened  to  receive 
it,   and    not    till    the    last    imitation  of    the    frightful 


52  ADIBOXDACK   TALES. 

scream  had  died  away  along  the   hills  that  bordered 
the  head  of  the  lake  did  a  muscle  of  his  fioine  move. 

"  Yis,  I  know  the  varmint,  and  an  ugly  one  he  is, 
too.  I  heerd  him  in  the  balsam  thickets  as  I  come 
down  the  inlet,  and  he  trailed  me  for  a  full  mile, 
as  they  will  when  hungry  ;  but  the  cretur  was  too 
cowardly  to  show  himself  in  the  mash  where  the  moon 
would  tech  him,  for  a  panther  has  a  keen  nose  for  the 
smell  of  powder,  and  he  scented  the  muzzle  of  my 
rifle  and  knowed  I  had  a  wepon.  I  hoped  he  would 
show  himself  a  minit,  or  that  the  swish  of  the  mash 
grass  as  he  tramped  through  it  would  make  a  line  for 
me,  for  I  thought  I  knowed  his  whine,  and  I  said  to 
myself,  Ef  he  gives  me  half  a  chance  I'll  let  light 
into  him,  and  sort  of  square  accounts  with  the  cretur 
that's  been  some  time  standin'  ;  but  he  is  a  cowardly 
chap  and  —  " 

Again  the  terrible  scream  leaped  into  the  air,  — 
this  time  wild  and  savagely  fierce  at  the  start,  and  so 
harsh  that  it  seemed  to  tear  the  silence  into  shreds  in 
very  fury ;  and  the  last  hoarse  aspiration  of  it  was  so 
terrible  in  its  wrathful  strength  that  the  trees,  water, 
and  air  seemed  to  shrink  back  and  shiver  in  terror  at 
its  injection  into  the  peaceful  atmosphere. 

"  Ay,  ay !  I  know  ye  now,"  continued  the  old 
man,  "  and  a  truer  hound  than  ye  murdered  for  me 
eleven  year  agone,  come  next  month,  never  nosed  a 
track  or  guarded  a  hunter's  camp.  Ye  can  yell  till 
ye  be  hoarse,  but  if  the  Lord  spares  this  old  body, 
and  my  eyes  don't  get  dim   for  another  month,  I'll 


THE  STORY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  53 

look  ye  up  some  day  and  give  ye  the  contents  of  a 
grooved  barrel  that  carries  a  half-ounce  bullet,  and 
chambers  eighty  grains  of  powder,  and  ye  shall  larn 
the  difference  between  a  hunter  used  to  tlie  sio;hts 
and  a  poor  hound  that  has  nothin'  but  his  teeth  and 
his  courage  to  fight  ye  with.  I  guess,"  continued  the 
old  man,  as  he  rose  to  his  feet,  "  I  had  better  bring- 
up  my  pack  and  my  rifle,  for  I  noted  by  the  direction 
the  echoes  took  that  the  brute  yender  be  trailin'  down 
the  lake,  and  he  may  cross  the  outlet  at  the  foot  and 
scout  up  this  side,  for  his  cry  shows  he  be  hungry,  and 
he  has  seen  our  lire  and  may  think  that  he  can  play 
his  capers  on  us ;  but  he  will  find  the  two  liveliest 
morsels  he  ever  tried  to  put  his  teeth  into,  the  var- 
mint !  "  and  lauohino'  to  himself  at  his  own  tliouo;ht 
he  started  for  the  beach. 

'^  Henry,"  said  he,  as  he  stood  leaning  over  the 
end  ^of  his  boat,  "  come  here  and  we  will  li'ist  this 
boat  into  camp.  I  dare  say  I  am  foolish,  but  some- 
how I  sorter  feel  that  this  lake  shore  isn't  quite  the 
spot  to  leave  an  honest  man's  boat  on.  I  can  remem- 
ber when  to  have  did  it  would  have  cost  a  man  his 
boat  and  scalp,  too,  onless  the  Lord  marcifully  kept 
his  eyes  open  with  dreams." 

In  a  moment  the  boat  was  placed  where  the  old  man 
wished  it,  and  settino-  his  back  ao-ainst  its  side  for  a 
support,  he  unlaced  his  moccasins,  and  thrust  his 
smoking  feet  out  toward  the  fire.  Taking  a  pipe 
from  my  pocket,  I  filled  it  with  a  choice  brand  of 
tobacco  I  had  in  my  pouch,  and  proffered  it  to  him. 


54       '  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

''  Thank  ye,  thank  ye,  Henry,"  said  he,  as  he  made 
a  motion  of  rejection  of  the  offer  with  his  hand,  "  I 
thank  ye  for  the  kindness  ye  mean  in  yer  heart,  but  ef 
it  be  all  the  same  to  ye  I  won't  take  it.  I  know  it  be 
a  comfort  to  ye,  and  I  am  glad  to  see  ye  enjoy  it,  but 
I  have  never  used  the  weed ;  not  for  the  reason  that  I 
had  a  conscience  in  the  matter,  but  because  the  Lord 
gave  me  a  nose  like  a  hound's,  and  better  too,  I  dare 
say,  for  I  doubt  ef  a  hound  knows  the  sweetness  of 
things,  or  can  take  pleasure  from  the  scent  that  goes 
into  his  nostrils.  But  he  has  been  more  marciful  to 
man  —  as  it  was  proper  he  should  be  —  and  gin  him 
the  power  to  know  good  and  evil  in  the  air ;  and  smell- 
in'  has  always  been  one  of  my  gifts,  and  I  couldn't 
make  ye  understand,  I  dare  say,  the  pleasure  I've  had 
in  the  right  exercise  of  it.  For  ye  know  that  natur' 
is  no  more  bright  to  the  eye  than  it  is  sweet  to  the 
nose ;  and  I've  never  found  a  root  or  shrub  or  leaf 
that  hadn't  its  own  scent.  Even  the  dry  moss  on  the 
rocks,  dead  and  juiceless  as  it  seems,  has  a  smell  to  it ; 
and  as  for  the  'arth,  I  love  to  put  my  nose  into  the 
fresh  sile,  as  a  city  woman  loves  the  nozzle  of  her 
smellin'-bottle.  Many  and  many  a  time  when  alone 
here  in  the  woods  have  I  taken  my  boat  and  gone  up 
into  the  inlet  when  the  wild  roses  was  in  blossom,  or 
down  into  some  bay  where  the  white  lily  cups  was  all 
open,  and  sot  in  my  boat  and  smelt  them  by  the  hour, 
and  wondered  ef  heaven  smelt  so.  Yis,  I  have  been 
sartinly  gifted  in  my  nose,  for  Fve  always  noted  that 
I  smelt  things  that  the  men  and  women  I  was  guidin' 


THE  STORY  THAT  THE  KEG    TOLD  ME.  55 

didn't,  and  found  things  in  the  air  that  they  never 
suspicioned  of,  and  I  feered  that  smokin'  might  take 
away  my  gift,  and  that  ef  I  got  the  strong  smell  of 
tobacco  in  my  nose  once  I  should  never  scent  any  other 
smell  that  was  lesser  and  finer  than  it.  —  So  I  have 
never  used  the  weed,  bein'  sort  of  naterally  afeered  of 
it ;  but  what  is  medicine  for  one  man  may  be  pisen  for 
another,  as  I  have  noted  in  animils,  for  the  bark  that 
fattens  the  beaver  will  kill  the  rat ;  and  so  ye  must 
take  no  offence  at  what  I've  said,  but  smoke  as  much 
as  ye  feel  moved  to,  and  I  will  scent  the  edges  of  the 
smell  as  it  comes  over  my  side  of  the  fire,  and  so  we'll 
sort  of  jine  works  —  as  they  say  in  the  settlements  — 
ye  do  the  smokin'  and  I'll  do  the  smellin',  and  I  think 
I've  got  the  lightest  end  of  the  stick  at  that."  And 
the  old  man  laughed  in  every  line  of  his  time-wriiikled 
face  at  the  smartness  of  his  saying. 


CHAPTER     VI. 

THE    OLD    trapper's    AMBUSH. 

•♦  I  am  out  of  humanity's  reach  ; 
I  must  finish  my  journey  alone, 
Never  hear  tlie  sweet  music  of  speech  — 
I  start  at  tlie  soiuul  of  my  own."  —  Coicper. 

'^ 

So  we  sat  on  either  side  of  the  fire,  filled  with  that 
contentment  which  pervades  tlie  mind  when  the  body 
has  eaten  its  fill  of  hearty  food,  and  the  process  of 
diofestion  is  a'oino*  forward  under  the  conditions  of 
perfect  health  and  agreeable  surroundings.  For  sev- 
eral minutes  we  sat  in  silence,  too  physically  happy 
on  my  part  to  think ;  and  the  Old  Trapper  seemed  to 
have  undergone  a  change  of  mood,  for  the  play  of 
humor  had  left  his  features,  and  his  countenance  had 
settled  into  a  solemn  repose. 

'^  I  was  thinhin',"  he  said  at  leno-th  —  "I  was 
thinkin'  of  things  that  happened  here  long  years 
aofone,  when  I  fust  come  throuo-h  this  lake.  I  can  tell 
ye,  Henry,  strange  doin's  have  been  done  here,  and 
my  thoughts  have  been  on  the  back  trail  for  several 
days  now,  and  I  had  a  feelin'  come  to  me  that  I 
ouo^hter  visit  this  lake,  and  sorter  see  how  thinjrs 
looked ;  for  there's  a  grave  over  there  on  the  p'int, 
that  I  made  with  my  own  hands,  and  I  buried  the 
body   of  a   man   in   it   that   had   no    mourner    at    his 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  57 

funeral,  onless  me  and  the  hound,  there,  might  be 
counted  as  sech.  And  I  thought  I  Avould  come 
through  here  and  see  ef  the  grave  wanted  mendm', 
although  I  dare  say  it  lies  quiet  enough,  and  ondis- 
tarbed,  for  I  built  it  up  in  good  shape,  and  sodded  it 
over  as  the  man  gave  me  word  to  do  ;  —  not  that  he 
ordered  it,  but  because  1  knowed  it  was  his  wish,  for 
he  said  the  day  he  died  :  '  I  wish  wdien  I  am  gone  my 
grave  might  be  sodded  as  they  sod  them  down  on  the 
coast  where  I  was  born.'  And  I  said  to  him,  ^  Don't 
worry  on  that  score,  for  I  will  make  it  as  ye  tell  me, 
so  far  as  me  and  the  hound  can  do  it ; '  and  then  he 
told  me  liow^  he  wanted  it  done,  and  I  will  say  he 
talked  rational-like  from  the  way  he  looked  at  it,  and 
I  did  it  jest  as  he  told  me,  as  the  hound  there  would 
bear  witness  ef  he  could  speak ;  and  somehow  latterly 
I  got  the  feelin'  into  me  that  I  oughter  come  through 
here,  and  sort  of  see  to  it,  and  that's  the  reason  that 
I  am  here,  although  sence  meetin'  ye  T  have  wondered 
ef  I  warnt  brouoht  here  to  meet  the  livin'  and  not  the 
dead  ;  for  the  Lord  don't  always  tell  what  he  starts  us 
on  a  journev  for,  or  what  we  are  to  find  at  the  other 
end  of  it,  for  the  tarmination  of  things  be  marcifully 
hidden  from  the  beginnin',  and  the  two  eends  of  a  trail 
never  look  alike." 

AVhile  the  Old  Trapper  had  been  thus  moralizing, 
he  had  risen  to  his  feet,  and  turning  round  with  his 
back  to  the  fire  he  stretched  a  hand  out  toward  the 
lake,  saying  :  — 

"  It  is  not   often,   Henry,  that  ye  see   so   bright  a 


58  ADIRONDACK    TALES. 

moon  a:s  that,  even  here  in  the  woods  where  the  air  be 
as  pure  as  the  Lord  can  make  it ;  and  it  calls  up 
memories.  It  is  eleven  year  this  very  night  that  me 
and  the  hound  slept  here,  and  a  solemn  ni^lit  it  was, 
too,  for  the  man  had  died  at  sunset,  and  his  body  lay 
right  there  where  the  moon  whitens  the  'arth  by  that 
dead  root.  —  God  of  heaven,  Henry,  what  is  that?" 

The  old  man's  startled  ejaculation  brought  me  to 
my  feet  as  if  the  panther  were  on  me,  and  glancing 
at  the  spot  he  had  indicated  by  his  looks  and  gesture, 
as  the  exclamation  tore  out  of  his  mouth,  I  beheld 
only  the  scattered  portions  of  the  Keg.  Not  know- 
ing what  to  make  of  the  old  man's  excited  action,  I 
said  :  — 

''  That  ?  that  is  only  a  keg  I  picked  uj3  in  the  lake 
this  evening." 

For  a  full  minute  the  Old  Trapper  stood  gazing 
steadfastly  at  it,  and  then  he  stepped  to  the  spot  where 
the  remnants  of  the  keg  lay,  and  picking  up  a  stave  he 
contemplated  it  a  minute  or  two  in  grave  and  solemn 
silence,  and  then  returning  to  the  fire  he  reseated 
himself  on  the  log,  and  still  holding  the  piece  of  wood 
in  his  hand,  said :  — 

"  The  ways  of  the  Lord  be  mysterious,  and  His 
orderin's  past  findin'  out ;  and  some  of  His  creturs  be 
born  for  good  and  some  for  evil,  and  how  He  ontangles 
the  strands  in  the  end  is  bey  end  our  knowin'.  But 
perhaps  in  the  long  run  He  brings  the  wrong  to  the 
right,  and  so  makes  the  evil  in  the  w^orld  to  praise  Him. 
Ah  me !  ah  me  !  what  a  load  the  man  carried  while  off 


THE  ST  OB  Y  TEA  T  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  59 

the  trail,  like  a  blind  moose  walkin'  in  a  circle ;  but 
before  he  tired  I  reckon  he  struck  the  blazed  line 
that  led  him  to  the  Great  Clearin'.  Leastwise,  it 
looked  so."  And  the  old  man  paused,  gazing  fixedly 
at  the  bit  of  the  keg  that  he  held  in  his  hand.  In  a 
moment  he  resumed :  "  I  have  a  mind,  Henry,  to  tell 
ye  the  story  of  the  man  who  owned  that  keg  once,  as 
far  as  I  know  it,  and  onless  ye  feel  sleepy-like  I  will 
tell  ye  what  happened  here  years  agone,  and  what  I 
know  of  the  man  whose  body  lies  buried  there  on 
yender  p'int  —  for  a  strange  tale  it  is,  and  a  true  one, 
and  the  teachin's  of  it  be  solemn." 

I  w^as  thoroughly  awake  by  this  time,  and  urged 
the  old  man  to  proceed.  After  a  moment's  silence 
he  beo^an  :  — 

"  Well,  it's  now  eleven  year  agone  that  I  was 
drawin'  a  trail  through  the  woods  from  east  to  west, 
and  I  did  a  good  deal  of  my  boatin'  in  the  night,  for 
the  moon  was  full,  and  I  always  had  a  sort  of  hankerin' 
for  the  night  work  ever  sence  I  slept  on  the  boughs ; 
for  natur'  looks  one  way  in  the  daytime,  and  another 
w^ay  in  the  night-time,  and  no  one  knows  how  sweet  she 
can  be  to  the  nose,  and  hoAv  pleasant  to  the  ears,  and 
how  han'some  to  the  eyes,  onless  he  has  seed  her  face, 
and  heerd  her  voices,  and  smelt  her  sweet  smells,  in  the 
nio'ht  season.  I've  alwavs  noted  that  those  who  knowed 
natur'  only  by  daylight  knowed  only  half  her  ways, 
and  less  than  half,  too,  for  that  matter.  For  in  the 
evenin'  she  gits  familiar  and  confidential-like  with  one, 
and  talks  to  him  of  herself  and  her  ways  as  she  never 


60  ADIEONDACK    TALES. 

does  in  the  daytime.  For  iiatur'  has  a  great  many 
secrets,  and  she's  timid  as  a  young"  faan,  and  ye've  got 
to  creep  into  thickets,  and  lay  yer  hoat  up  under  the 
banks  of  streams,  and  lie  down  in  the  mash  grass 
when  all  be  dark  and  still,  if  ye  want  to  hear  her 
whisper  to  ye  of  her  innermost  feelin's.  The  Lord 
only  knows  how  many  times  I  have  ambushed  her  in 
her  hidin'  places  as  a  Huron  would  a  camp,  and  caught 
her  at  her  pranks.  Ah,  Henry,  ye  have  no  idee  how 
many  things  I  have  larnt  of  her  in  the  night-time,  or 
how  frisky  and  solemn,  both,  natur'  can  bo  betwixt 
the  settin'  and  risin'  of  the  sun. 

Well,  as  I  was  savin',  I'd  been  over  to  the  east 
boundaries  of  tlie  woods,  nigh  on  to  the  Horricon 
waters,  where  I  did  a  good  deal  of  my  early  scoutin', 
to  sorter  see  how  the  brooks  and  wood-ways  looked 
agin,  but  it  Avas  a  sorry  time  I  had  of  it,  for  the 
settlers  had  pushed  in,  and  their  mills  was  on  every 
stream,  and  their  painted  housen  stood  under  the  very 
trees  where  I  used  to  cook  \\\\  venison  with  no  sights 
or  sounds  around  save  those  that  natur'  lierself  made. 
And  ye  can  well  believe,  Henry,  that  I  was  glad  to  git 
away  from  what  I  went  to  see  and  be  back  here  where 
my  ears  couldn't  hear  the  sound  of  axes  and  the  fallin' 
of  trees  —  yis,  I  was  mighty  glad  to  git  back  where 
things  was  quiet  and  peaceful-like,  and  the  cruelties 
and  divilments  of  men  that  have  no  respect  for 
things  the  Lord  has  made  hadn't  come  to  distarb  the 
habits  of  natur'. 

Well,  as  I  was  sayin',  it  was  eleven  year  agone,  and 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG    TOLD  3IE.  61 

ill  this  very  mouthy  and  \yell  on  in  the  night,  that  I 
came  down  the  inlet  yender  into  this  lake.  And  the 
moon  was  nigh  on  to  her  full,  and  everythin'  looked 
solemn  and  white  jest  as  they  do  to  us  now,  and  the 
Lord  knows  I  leetle  thought  to  meet  mortal  man  in 
thesa  solitudes  when  I  run  agin  what  I  am  to  tell  ye  of. 

I  was  paddlin'  down  this  side  of  the  lake,  keepin' 
well  under  the  shore,  list'nin'  and  thinkin',  and  happy 
in  my  heart  as  a  rat  in  the  water,  when  I  heerd  the 
stranofest  sounds  I  ever  heerd  come  out  of  bird  or 
beast.  It  was  a  kind  of  murmurin'  noise  that  run 
out  into  the  stillness  an'  sorter  capered  round  a  minit, 
an'  then  run  back  where  it  started  from.  Ye  better 
believe,  Henry,  I  sot  and  listened  as  a  man  listens 
scoutin'  alone  in  the  night-time  in  these  woods,  when 
he  gits  a  sound  in  his  ears  that  he  can't  make  out. 
Yis,  I  sot  and  listened  ontil  I  was  nothin'  but  ears, 
and  the  very  stillness  beat  on  the  narves  of  my  head 
as  I  have  heerd  the  roll  of  the  waves  on  the  lakes 
beat  on  the  beach.  But  for  the  life  of  me  I  couldn't 
make  it  sound  nateral,  nor  tell  what  animil  it  be- 
longed to,  and  it  took  the  conceit  out  o'  me  to  larn 
that  there  was  a  cretur  in  the  woods  whose  mouth 
didn't  tell  me  its  name  and  habits. 

Arter  a  while  I  got  the  true  direction  of  it,  for  a 
sound  o^oes  as  straisfht  from  its  startin'  to  the  ear  as  a 
bee  from  a  wind-fall  or  burnt  clearin'  o-oes  to  its  hole 
in  the  beech,  and  I  said  to  myself  as  I  lifted  my  rifle 
to  my  knee,  that  I  would  ambush  the  cretur  and  find 
out  what  mouth  had  a  lang-uao-e  in  it  that  old  John 


62  ADIBOXDACK    TALES. 

Norton  couldn't  tell  the  meanin'  of.  So  I  laid  my 
boat  up  in  the  direction  of  the  sound  as  ef  my  life 
depended  on  the  proper  use  of  the  paddle.  I  hadn't 
gone  more  than  ten  rods  afore  the  noise  stopped,  but 
I'd  fixed  it  in  the  line  of  a  dead  Norway,  and  I 
knowed  I  could  put  my  boat  inside  of  fifty  feet  of 
where  the  cretur  lay.  I  never  acted  more  sarcum- 
spectly  nor  fetched  an  ambushment  more  easy  and 
sartin,  and  in  a  shorter  time  than  it  takes  me  to  tell 
ye  I  had  my  boat  under  the  p'int  of  that  bank  there 
within  ten  feet  of  the  shrubs,  wdth  mv  finoer  on  the 
trigger  of  a  rifle  that  goes  easy  in  an  on  sartin  am- 
bushment. There  I  sot  a  full  minit  knowin'  I  was 
inside  of  fifty  feet  of  the  cretur,  with  my  eyes  and 
ears  as  open  as  they  should  be  in  such  sarcumstances. 
Then  I  lieerd  a  kind  of  crawlin'  sound  as  ef  the  brute 
or  reptile  was  trailin'  himself  along  the  sand ;  and  I 
knowed  ef  the  wiggle  of  a  bush  would  give  me  the 
line  I  could  open  a  hole  through  him.  It  might  have 
been  ten  feet  that  the  cretur  crawled,  and  then  he 
stopped,  but  I  had  fixed  him  well  in  mind  and  felt 
sartin  I  could  drive  the  lead  where  it  ought  to  go.  I 
had  got  the  breech  of  my  rifle  to  my  face,  and  my 
cheek  was  settlin'  to  tlie  stock,  when  the  cretur 
opened  his  mouth,  and  by  the  Lord  of  Marcy,  Henry, 
/  cUskivered  I  had  ambushed  no  animil  at  all,  hut  a 
mo7:tal  man  /" 

Long  before  the  Old  Trapper  had  got  to  this  point 
of  his  narrative  1  had  become  profoundly  interested  in 
his    recital.     For    he    told  the  story  as  men  born  to 


THE  STOBY  THAT   THE  KEG   TOLD  31 E.  63 

the  AYOods  tell  their  tales  o£  personal  adventure  — 
with  a  natural  eloquence  o£  tone,  feature,  and  gesture 
which  only  those  have  whose  experiences  have  been 
narrow  but  intense,  and  who  speak  from  the  simple 
earnestness  of  untutored  and  therefore  unfettered 
power.  His  narrative  had  been  told  from  the  beginning 
in  two  languages  ;  one  verbal  and  the  other  pantomimic, 
and  he  had  carried  me  along  with  his  story  as  it  ad- 
vanced as  much  by  that  which  addressed  the  eye  as  by 
that  which  entered  the  ear.  He  had  gathered  warmth 
and  energy  of  expression  as  he  had  gone  on,  until  I 
found  myself  moving  in  sympathy  with  the  visible 
action  of  his  features,  body,  and  hands ;  and  when  he 
reached  the  climax  of  his  discovery  I  shared  to  the 
full  in  the  excitement  of  his  pantomimic  action,  and 
doubt  if  the  shock  of  surprise  which  he  had  experi- 
enced eleven  years  before  in  his  boat  under  the  bank, 
off  the  point  which  lay  in  the  moonlight  full  in  view, 
was  much  greater  at  the  startling  discovery  he  had 
made,  than  was  mine.  So  we  sat  looking  full  at  each 
other  across  the  camp-fire,  our  faces  tense  with  mutual 
excitement,  as  if  we  were  actual  sharers  in  the  aston- 
ishing discovery. 

"  Yis,  Henry,  a  man  was  there,  a  man  on  that  p'int 
where  I  expected  to  find  only  an  animil ;  and  his 
words,  as  they  come  out  of  his  mouth  into  the  still  air 
of  the  night,  strong  and  clear  as  a  man  in  the  rapids 
calling  for  help,  was  words  of  prayer.  I've  been, 
Henry,  in  many  ambushments  in  the  seventy  years 
I've  lived,  and  I've  been  in  peril  from  inimies  behind 


64  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

and  afore ;  and  more  than  once  have  I  met  the  rage 
of  man  and  beast  and  been  brono'ht  face  to  face  with 
death  onexpectedly ;  but  never  sence  my  eyes  knowed 
the  sights,  or  my  life  depended  on  the  proper  use  of 
my  faculties,  was  I  ever  so  taken  onaw^ares  or  onbal- 
anced  as  I  was  under  the  bushes  there  on  yender  p'int 
eleven  year  agone,  Avhen  I  heerd  the  voice  of  that  man 
I  had  mistook  for  an  animil  break  out  in  prayer.  It 
was  of  the  Lord's  own  marcy,  Henry,  that  I  Avas  not  a 
murderer  of  my  kind,  for  my  finger  was  on  the 
trigger,  as  I  told  ye,  and  my  eye  was  getting  onto  as 
trusty  a  barrel  as  man  ever  hefted,  when  He  opened 
the  cretur's  mouth  wdth  the  sound  of  His  o^vn  name. 
For  a  minit  the  blood  stopped  in  my  heart,  and  my 
hair  moved  in  my  scalp  ;  and  tlien  I  shook  like  a  man 
with  the  chills,  ontil  I  drew  from  the  guard  of  my  rifle 
a  finger  that  had  never  quivered  afore,  for  fear  I 
should  explode  the  piece  and  distarb  the  man  in  his 
worship. 

I  sot  and  heerd  the  man  from  beginnin'  to  eend, 
and  I  larned,  under  the  bushes  that  night,  how 
hard-put  a  mortal  may  be  by  reason  of  his  sin.  For 
the  man  prayed  for  help  as  one  calls  to  a  comrade 
w^hen  his  boat  has  gone  down  under  him  in  the 
rapids,  and  he  knows  he  must  have  help  or  die. 
I've  been  a  prayin'  man,  Henry,  as  one  should  be  who 
lives  here  in  the  woods  wdiere  the  Sperit  of  the  Lord 
is  everywdiere  and  in  all  things ;  but  I  never  prayed 
as  that  man  prayed,  and  it  larned  me  that  wdiat  is 
prayin'  to  one  man  isn't  prayin'  to  another,  for  the 


THE  STOHY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  JIE.  ^5 

natur'  of  our  wants  settle  the  natur'  of  our  prayin', 
and  the  habits  of  our  Hfe  makes  the  trail  to  His 
marcy  level  or  steep.  And  this  man  was  climbin'  a 
steep  trail,  and  his  soul  was  strugglin'  on  a  hard 
carry,  I  tell  ye;  and  the  words  of  his  cry  come  out 
of  his  mouth  like  the  w^ords  of  one  who  is  lost  onless 
somebody  saves  him.  It's  dreadful  for  a  man  to 
live  in  secli  a  way  that  he  has  to  pray  in  that 
fashion ;  for  we  ought  to  live,  Henry,  so  that  it  is 
cheerful-like  to  meet  the  Lord,  and  pleasant  to  hold 
convarse  with  him. 

So  I  sot  in  my  boat  ontil  he  was  done,  and  then 
I  huo'o^ed  mvself  close  in  under  the  bushes,  for  I 
heerd  him  coming  down  toward  the  shore,  and  I 
know^ed  he  must  pass  nigh  where  I  lay  in  the  am- 
bushment.  And  he  did,  —  ay,  so  nigh  that  I  could 
have  teched  him  with  my  paddle,  and  he  had  some- 
thing heavy  in  his  arms,  for  he  staggered  as  he  went 
by,  as  ef  put  to  it  for  strength.  In  a  minit  I  heerd 
him  shove  a  boat  out  of  the  bushes  onto  the  water, 
and  gettin'  in,  he  pushed  off  onto  the  lake.  He  led 
straight  off  into  the  centre  of  it,  and  I  trailed  him 
in  his  wake,  for  the  moon  had  got  back  of  the 
mountain  here  to  the  rioht,  and  I  was  detarmined 
to  see  what  his  queer  goin's-on  meant.  Well,  when 
he  had  come  nioh  to  the  middle  of  the  lake  he  laid 
his  i3addle  down,  and  lifted  somethin'  into  the  air,  and 
turned  it  up  endwis3  and  poured  what  was  in  it  out. 
I  larntk,  afterwards,  what  it  was  he  lifted  into  the 
air,    and    what    it  was    he    poured   out  of    it,  for  he 


66  ADIROXDACK  TALES. 

told  me  with  his  own  lips,  and  under  seeh  sarcum- 
stances,  and  at  a  time,  when  mortals  be  apt  to  tell 
the  truth ;  for  he  told  me  on  his  death-day,  when 
he  lay  dyin',  and  I  never  knowed  a  man,  white  or 
redskin,  that  didn't  talk  straight  as  an  honest  trapper 
countin'  his  pelts,  when  he  had  come  to  the  last  blaze 
on  the  trail,  and  his  feet  stood  on  the  edge  of  the 
Great  Clearin'." 


CHAPTER     YII. 

FINDING    THE    MISER. 

"  Sagacious  bound." —  Virgil. 

''  Well,  I  didn't  make  myself  known  to  him  that 
niglitj  for  I  felt  onsartin  as  to  the  natur'  of  the  man  ; 
and  beside,  I  conceited  I  had  no  right  to  step  in  sud- 
denly upon  a  man  in  the  midst  of  his  troubles,  of 
whatever  sort  they  might  be  ;  —  for  it  always  seemed 
to  me  that  a  mortal  had  a  right  to  have  ownership 
of  his  own  grief,  and  to  shet  the  door  of  it  agin 
the  whole  world,  as  much  as  a  hunter  in  his  own  camp 
has  a  rioht  to  shet  the  door  of  his  lodsre.  So  I  shied 
off  furder  into  the  lake  and  made  camp  for  the  night, 
or  what  there  was  left  of  it,  on  the  island  yender. 

Well,  in  the  mornin'  I  bestirred  myself,  and  started 
my  fire  ostentatious-like  on  the  side  of  the  island  next 
the  p'int,  and  it  made  as  much  smoke  as  ef  it  had  been 
built  by  a  boy  from  the  settlements,  or  a  college  lad 
in  his  fust  trip  to  the  w^oods,  whose  tongue  runs  to 
words,  and  whose  fires  are  all  smoke,  —  for  I  wanted 
to  call  his  eyes  over  my  way  and  let  him  know  that 
there  w^as  a  human  on  the  lake,  and  one  that  didn't 
seek  concealment  like  a  thievin'  half-breed  on  an  honest 
trapper's  line  ;  for  a  fire  here  in  the  woods  is  like  the 
little  keerds  that  the  girls  in  the  settlements,  I  have 


68  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

been  told,  send  round  to  their  friends  to  ax  them  to 
drink  tea  with  them,  or  jine  in  a  jig  :  a  gineral  invite 
to  come  in  and  feel  at  home.  So  I  piled  on  the  timber 
in  a  wasteful  way,  and  dropped  on  a  bit  of  punk  now 
and  then,  until,  'twixt  the  blaze  and  the  smoke,  I 
warrant  a  hunter's  eye,  even  in  peace  time,  not  to  say 
a  scout's  when  the  redskins  are  loose,  could  have  seen 
it  ten  miles  away.  But  the  man  on  the  p'int  never 
took  the  hint,  and  well  enouo^h  he  mightn't,  for  I 
arterwards  larned  that  he  never  saw  either  blaze  or 
smoke,  for  he  was  lyin'  in  his  lodge  back  there  in  the 
swale,  with  his  thoughts  far  away,  and  his  eyes  on 
other  lights  than  such  as  the  hands  of  man  kindle. 

Well,  I  cooked  my  breakfast  for  my  hound  there 
and  me,  and  while  we  was  eatin'  it  we  both  kept 
thinkin'  of  the  man  on  the  p'int ;  for  a  dog  of 
breedin'  knows  what  his  master's  thinkin'  about,  and  I 
could  tell  by  the  movements  of  the  hound's  nose  that 
the  Lord  was  blowin'  knowledge  to  him  from  the  other 
side  of  the  lake,  and  that  his  thoughts  were  not  on 
the  meat  he  was  eatin',  but  over  there  where  him  and 
me  had  fetched  our  ambushment  the  night  afore.  So 
arter  we  had  finished  eatin'  and  cleaned  things  up,  we 
stood  around  a  while  and  kept  our  eye  on  the  p'int  for 
some  friendly  sign,  and  both  me  and  the  hound  felt 
sort  of  disapp'inted-like,  and  the  least  bit  oneasy  in 
mind  as  to  what  it  all  meant ;  for  it  seemed  mighty 
queer  that  the  man  should  make  no  sign,  not  to  say 
show  himself,  when  he  must  have  knowed  that  we 
wanted  to  be  neighborly.     So  arter  a  while  we  put  off 


THE  STOJRY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  69 

toward  the  p'int,  cletarmined  to  see  for  ourselves  Avhat 
sort  of  a  cretur  be  was,  whose  behavior  had  been  so 
mighty  onusual  the  night  before.  And  I  paddled 
over  straight  for  the  bushes  wdiere  I  know^ed  his  boat 
was,  and,  sure  enough,  there  it  was  plain  in  sight, 
where  I  felt  it  must  be. 

Then  I  went  ashore  and  began  to  poke  around,  and 
the  trail  was  plain  enough  for  a  man  from  the  settle- 
ments to  follow  with  his  eyes  half-shet ;  for  it  led 
from  the  boat  straight  up  the  hill,  under  the  pines  and 
dow^n  into  the  sw^ale  back  of  it.  So  I  pushed  along, 
keej^ing  an  eye  open  for  the  shanty  that  I  know^ed 
must  be  nigh,  and  soon  sot  my  eyes  on  it,  sure 
enough ;  but  it  w^as  no  shanty  at  all,  only  a  mis'rable 
old  tent.  I  will  confess,  Henry,  that  it  rather  sot  me 
agin  the  man,  wdioever  he  w^as,  wdien  I  saw^  him  livin' 
shet  up  in  a  canvas  bag,  like  a  rat  in  his  hole  in  the 
spring  freshets,  when  he  might  have  housed  himself 
in  a  bark  lodge,  dry  and  airy,  with  one  side  open  as  a 
house  always  should  be,  arter  my  w\ay  of  thinkin' ;  for 
it's  a  great  blessin'  to  be  able  to  see  the  bigness  of  the 
w^orld  in  wdiicli  ye  be  livin',  and  breathe  the  air  as  the 
Lord  blows  it  to  ye  fresh  and  strong  from  the  slope  of 
mountains  and  the  cool  water  level.  And  I  conceit 
that  whoever  lives  in  a  canvas  shed  that's  damp  and 
sw^ashy  as  last  year's  mash  grass,  must  be  a  very  sense- 
less or  wdcked  bein',  who  don't  know  how  handsome 
the  world  is,  or  else  wants  to  hide  himself  from  the 
eyes  of  man,  and  of  the  Lord,  too,  for  that  matter ; 
for  an  honest  man  in  the  woods  builds  his  lodge  so  he 


70  ADIEONDACK  TALES. 

can  see  and  be  seen  by  day  and  by  night,  because  he 
loves  the  sun  and  sky  by  day  and  the  stars  by  night, 
and  has  no  reason  to  hide  himself  or  his  traps  from 
the  Lord,  or  from  his  own  kind,  —  which  is  open  and 
noble-like,  as  I  onderstand  it.  So  when  I  seed  the 
mis'rable  and  nasty  old  tent,  where  the  bark  was 
plenty  and  willin'  to  be  peeled,  I  felt  suspicious  of  the 
man,  and  conceited  that  the  man's  morals  wasn't  what 
they  should  be.  But  in  spite  of  my  suspicionin'  I 
detarmined  to  go  on  and  nose  the  man  out ;  and  I 
said  to  myself  :  ^  What  right  have  you,  Old  John  Nor- 
ton, to  set  in  jedgment  on  a  fellow  mortal,  and  before 
even  you  have  seed  him  ?  It  may  be  the  man  is  igno- 
rant of  the  ways  of  the  woods,  and  knows  no  better 
nor  a  babe  how  to  care  for  himself;  or  perhaps  he 
has  been  onfortunit  and  needs  help  more  than  jedg- 
ment.' 

So  I  pushed  ahead  and  laid  my  hand  on  the  rag  of 
a  door  and  drew  it  aside  in  a  frank  sort  of  a  way,  and, 
by  the  Lord,  Henry,  the  man  lay  dead  before  me  ! 
Leastwise  I  thought  he  was  dead,  for  his  eyes  was  half- 
shet  and  half-open,  as  a  dead  man's  should  be  who 
has  died  onattended,  and  his  face  was  as  white  as  the 
moss  on  the  rock  wdien  the  moonshine  is  on  it.  \yell, 
Henry,  it  was  a  solemn  sight,  I  can  tell  ye,  and  one 
that  made  me  ashamed  of  my  suspicionin'  of  the  man, 
and  I  trust  the  Lord  forgave  me  the  wicked  thought  I 
had  had  of  a  fellow  mortal  because  he  hadn't  showed 
himself  on  the  p'int,  or  called  on  me  at  my  camp, 
when   all   the   time  the  hand  of  death  w^as  heavy  on 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD   ^fE.  71 

him,  and  his  legs  were  as  strengthless  as  the  reeds  on 
the  mash  when  the  frost  has  smitten  them. 

Well,  I  stood  at  the  door  of  the  tent  and  I  on- 
kivered  my  head,  as  a  mortal  should  in  sech  solemn 
sarcumstanees,  for  I  verily  thought  the  man  was  dead ; 
hut  the  hound,  there,  knowed  better,  for  the  Lord  has 
given  a  sense  in  sech  things  to  a  dog  that  he  with- 
holds from  the  master,  for  the  hound,  arter  standin 
respectful-like  behind  me  a  minit,  as  ef  he  would  not 
be  too  forrard  or  shame  me  by  his  better  knowledge, 
pushed  in  to  the  side  of  the  body  and  put  his  nose  to 
the  cheek  and  then  just  turned  his  eyes  up  to  me  and 
wao'o'ed  his  tail.  Ah  me,  it's  wonderful  what  larnin' 
the  Lord  has  gin  to  the  creturs  he  has  made,  and 
how  often  they  know  more  nor  their  masters  ;  and 
here  was  a  dog  who  knowed  the  livin'  and  the  dead 
better  than  I  did,  though  the  body  was  the  body  of  a 
mortal,  and  not  of  his  kind. 

Well,  when  I  seed  the  hound  move  his  tail,  happy- 
like, I  knowed  the  man  was  not  dead,  however  nigh 
he  might  be  on  to  it ;  and  so  I  stepped  in  quick  as 
powder  ever  barnt  and  h'isted  the  man  up,  and  took 
him  in  my  arms,  and  carried  him  out  of  the  mis'rable 
tent  into  the  fresh,  cool  air,  and  laid  him  down  in  the 
warm  sunshine  on  the  p'int,  and  fell  to  chafin'  his 
legs  and  his  wrists,  and  pressin'  on  his  chest,  and 
sprinklin'  water  in  his  face ;  and  I  blowed  in  his  nos- 
trils, and  did  as  a  man  should  in  sech  sarcumstanees  to 
one  of  his  kind. 

But  he  was  mighty  weak,   and  all  the   strength  he 


72  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

had  was  in  his  eyes,  for  he  couldn't  move  hand  or 
foot,  more  nor  a  huck  with  a  bullet  throuirh  his 
spine  the  mornin'  arter  he  is  shot.  And  it  was  a  very 
solemn  sight  to  see  a  full-grown  man  lyin'  on  the 
sand  with  all  natur'  lively  around  him,  and  he  onabla 
to  move  a  leg,  or  lift  a  finger  ;  and  it  showed  that  the 
body  of  a  mortal  has  no  more  life  in  it  than  a  List 
year's  beaver's  hide,  when  his  sperit  has  left  it ;  and 
it  was  awful-like  to  see  a  fellow  bein'  dead  in  every 
member  of  his  mortal  frame  but  his  eyes,  and  all 
there  was  of  himself  lookhi'  steadily  out  of  them  at 
ye.  But  I  felt  he  would  fetch  around  arter  a  while, 
for  the  sun  was  warm  and  the  wind  fresh,  and  I  bol- 
stered him  up  so  it  would  blow  straight  into  his  mouth 
and  nostrils,  and  I  said  to  myself,  Ef  natur'  can't 
bring  him  to,  nothin'  can.  And  so  I  felt  cheerful- 
like,  and  pretty  sartin  that  between  the  sun  and  warm 
sand  and  wind  we  would  get  his  members  warmed  up 
and  agoin'  agin  afore  long  ;  and  the  hound  thought 
so  too,  for  when  the  man  fust  opened  his  eyes  the 
animil  knowed  it  was  a  good  sign  as  well  as  I  did,  for 
the  cretur  no  sooner  saw  them  open  nater'ly,  than  he 
scooted  a  circle  round  the  body  in  the  sand  lively  as  a 
young  pup  at  play,  and  then  he  stopped  in  his  foolish- 
ness and  let  a  roar  out  of  his  mouth  that  migflit  have 
been  heerd  over  to  Salmon  Lake ;  and  then  he  came 
back  and  sot  down  on  his  ha'nches  closa  by  the  man, 
and  watched  him  as  'arnestly  as  I  did.  Every  few 
minits  he  would  look  up  at  me  with  a  happy  sort  of 
look  in  his  eyes  and  fetch  a  wag  or  two  with  his  tail ; 


THE   STORY  THAT  THE  KEG  TOLD  :\IE.  73 

and  it  was  mighty  cheerful  and  eneonragin'  to  see  the 
animil  act  so,  and  made  me  feel  sort  of  chirpy  myself, 
as  I  sot  in  the  sand  watchin'  the  man,  for  I  knowed 
the  hound  was  a  truthful  dog,  and  was  wise  in  his 
gifts,  and  Avouldn't  lie  agin  the  vardict  of  them,  and 
I  conceited  that  the  man  would  pick  up  and  be  able 
to  talk,  if  the  dog  said  so. 

Well,  arter  a  while  the  man  begun  to  pick  up  for 
sartin,  for  the  blood  come  back  into  his  skin,  and  his 
fingers  begun  to  open  and  shet  easy-like,  and  he  put 
his  tongue  out  and  w^et  his  lips  nater'ly  as  a  man  does 
arter  sleep  in  a  hot  lodge.  I  sarched  my  pack  and 
found  some  tea  a  city  w^oman  gin  me  the  summer 
afore  for  a  sarvice  I  done  her  on  the  Racquette, 
which  was  no  more  than  any  man  would  do  for  a 
woman,  but  which  she  said  she  shoukl  never  forgit 
till  her  dyin'  day,  —  and  I  guess  she  never  will, 
for  I  found  somethin'  she  had  lost  that  lay  near  her 
heart,  and  I  never  knowed  a  white  woman,  or  squaw, 
neither,  for  that  matter,  forgit  a  man  wdio  done  them 
a  sarvice  in  that  direction ;  —  well,  as  I  was  sayin',  I 
sarched  for  the  tea  the  city  woman  had  gin  me,  and 
steeped  a  cup  of  it  for  the  man  on  the  sand,  and  I 
made  it  strong  as  the  leaf  would  make  it,  for  I 
knowed  it  would  help  natur'  to  rally,  and  make  him 
strono'  enouo'h  to  take  nourishment,  and  set  his  tonoue 
goin',  ef  sech  a  thing  could  be  by  the  Lord's  appoint- 
ment. 

So  I  gave  him  the  drink^  and  it  took  hold  on  him 
at  once.     It  was  really  amazin',   Henry,  how  the  yarb 


74  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

put  life  into  him  as  ef  it  had  the  Lord's  own  power  to 
call  the  soul  back  into  the  mortal  frame  and  set  the 
members  of  it  workin'.  Yis,  it  was  a  marvel  to  see 
the  power  that  natur'  had  put  into  a  few  withered 
leaves  —  for  the  more  he  drank  the  better  he  felt,  and 
by  the  time  he  had  come  to  the  bottom  of  the  cup  I 
could  see  that  the  man  was  nigh  himself  agin,  and 
likely  enough  to  begin  to  talk  ;  and  sure  enough,  in  a 
minit  he  made  a  effort  to  speak,  and  arter  one  or  two 
trials  he  got  his  tongue  used  to  the  motions,  and  said  : 

"  Old  man,  who  be  ye,  that  has  called  me  back 
from  the  gates  of  death  and  summoned  me  from  the 
borders  of  the  grave  ?  " 

"  My  name,"  I  said,  "  is  John  Norton,  and  I  be 
nobody  but  a  hunter  and  trapper  who  has  done 
nothin'  but  live  in  a  nater'ly  way  and  sarve  his  kind 
when  the  Lord  gave  him  a  chance ;  and  as  for 
bringin'  ye  back  from  the  border  of  the  grave,  I  think 
ye  was  pritty  nigh  onto  it,  and  me  and  the  hound 
yender,  and  the  tea  I  steeped  for  ye,  did  mayhaps 
give  ye  a  lift  in  the  right  direction  —  though  it 
mustn't  be  overlooked,  ef  ye  be  cur'us  in  the  matter, 
that  the  sun  and  Avind  done  their  part  to  bring  ye  to ; 
and  I  dare  say  the  Lord  in  His  marcy  has  done  more 
than  us  all,  for  ye  sartinly  would  have  died  ef  He 
hadn't  gin  the  hound  the  sense  to  know  the  dead 
from  the  living  and  helped  us  in  our  endivors.  And 
now,  friend,  what  may  your  name  be,  and  what  game 
did  ye  have  in  mind  when  ye  pushed  your  trail  from 
the  settlements  into  this  lonely  lake  ?  for  I  see  from 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG    TOLD  ME.  75 

the  sioiis  that  ye  know  notliin'  of  the  woods,  and  I 
marvel  that  a  man  of  your  ignorance  should  leave  the 
ha'nts  of  jour  kind,  and  I  dare  say  kindred,  and  resk 
yourself  in  these  out-of-the-way  places,  which  be  pleas- 
ant to  them  who  know  them,  but  resky  to  them  that 
doesn't ;  so  I  ax  ye  your  name,  and  why  I  find  ye 
here  alone  and  onprotected  as  ef  ye  hadn't  a  friend  on 
the  'arth." 

"  John  Norton,"  said  the  man,  "my  name  is  Roberts, 
John  Roberts ;  and  I  have  not  a  friend  on  the  earth, 
nor  do  I  deserve  one,  for  I  have  forfeited  the  love  of  all 
that  ever  loved  me,  by  my  evil  acts,  and  the  Lord  has 
visited  upon  me  the  punishment  I  deserved  by  sejDarat- 
inof"  -me  from  them.  Yea,  out  of  mv  sins  has  come 
judgment,  and  my  evil  thought  has  been  the  pit  into 
which  I  have  stumbled.  But  the  mercy  I  had  forfeited 
has  been  shown  me,  in  my  guilt,  and  the  peace  of  the 
Spirit  that  made  and  lives  in  the  universe  has  been 
breathed  into  me  from  these  mountains  and  the  sky 
and  the  majesties  of  nature  in  the  presence  of  which, 
glad  that  my  mortal  life  is  ended,  I  lie  dying ;  "  and 
the  man  turned  his  eyes  on  the  objects  he  named  with 
the  look  of  a  hound  in  them  when  he  meets  the  pleased 
face  of  his  master. 

"  John  Roberts,"  I  said,  "  I  do  not  understand  ye, 
for  the  beauty  of  natur'  is  sech  as  to  make  men  wish 
to  live  and  not  to  die,  and  though  I  trust  I  may  be 
willing  to  go  when  He  calls,  still  I  can't  conceit  of  any 
place  pleasanter  or  more  cheerful-like  for  a  human 
bein'  to  live  in  than  these  woods,  and  I  hope  He  will 


76  ADIROXDACK    TALES. 

let  me  stay  here,  scoutin'  round,  as  long  as  His  plans 
tecliin'  me  allow  of,  and,  as  for  that  matter,  ef  He 
should  forgit  us  altogether  I  don't  conceit  that  me  and 
the  hound  would  be  very  onhappy  or  feel  cheated-like, 
but  would  hold  it  as  a  kind  of  a  marcy,  and  keep  on 
enjoyin'  ourselves  and  sarvin'  Him  in  the  way  of 
natur's  app'intment ;  and  as  for  friends,  I  haven't  an 
inimy  in  the  world  but  a  thievin'  Huron  I  cauofht  on 
the  line  of  my  traps  last  winter,  and  shortened  his  left 
ear  half  an  inch  with  a  bullet,  and  a  miser'ble  half- 
breed  or  two  I've  larnt  the  commandments  in  a  similar 
manner.  But  outside  of  these,  me  and  the  hound 
there  be  in  peace  with  all  the  'artli,  and  feel  cheerful 
and  pleasant-like  toward  every  livin'  bein',  except  the 
panthers,  —  yis,  always  exceptin'  the  panthers,  that  we 
keep  a  kind  of  runnin'  account  with,  as  the  pedlers 
say  in  the  settlements,  and  square  up  whenever  we  git 
a  chance." 

"Ye  see,  Henry,"  continued  the  old  man,  "  I  wanted 
to  chirk  him  up  as  much  as  I  could,  because  he  was 
mighty  weak  still,  and  I  thought  that  low  sperits 
would  sot  him  back  agin,  so  even  the  hound  and  me 
couldn't  bring  him  to ;  and  so  I  talked  the  least  bit 
frisky-like,  and  took  on  as  ef  I  felt  ondistarbed.  But 
he  knowed  better  all  the  time  ;  for  he  looked  at  me 
with  his  eyes  fixed  solemnly  on  my  face  and  said :  — 

"  Old  man,  I  know  you  can't  understand,  because 
you  have  lived  an  innocent  life,  and  according  to  the 
light  you  had  you  have  walked  in  the  path  of  right- 
eousness, and  the  peace  of  the  upright  is  in  your  heart, 


THE  STOr.Y  THAT  THE  KEG    TOLD  ME.  77 

and  the  liobt  of  it  is  over  all  the  world,  and  makes 
it  desirable  to  your  eyes.  And  I  can  well  understand 
that  you  need  no  other  life  than  the  one  you  lead,  or 
other  heaven  than  the  lovely  scenes  which  your  gifts 
and  your  manner  of  life  have  taught  you  so  well  to 
enjoy,  and  I  can  understand,  too,  how  you  cannot 
grasp  the  meaning  of  guilt  as  those  Avho  sin  against 
lio'ht  feel  it :  the  ofuilt  of  a  man  who  has  resisted  God 
and  hardened  his  nature  by  a  cursed  passion,  and  hated 
what  he  should  have  lov^ed,  and  loved  with  lusting 
what  he  should  have  hated  —  for  you  have  been  as  a 
child,  and  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  has  come  to  you 
with  the  years,  because  your  aging  took  not  the  simple 
innoceucy  of  childhood  from  you.  But  I  have  lived 
so  that  memory  is  only  fuel  to  remorse,  and  the  earth 
a  constant  reminder  of  my  guilt ;  and  hence  I  would 
seek  mv  heaven  in  the  foro-etfulness  of  death,  and 
anticipate  another  land  beyond  the  grave,  in  hopes 
of  finding  escape  from  Avhat  torments  me  here,  and 
havino^  ministered  unto  my  life  the  boon  of  a  new 
start.  And  you  must  know  that  there  are  those  in 
the   world  beyond  the  trrave  Avhom  I  have  wrono;ed, 

I/O  O  •' 

and  the  load  of  their  wronging  lies  heavy  on  my  soul. 
I  would  find  them,  and  on  my  knees  ask  their  pardon ; 
for,  old  man,  even  God  himself  cannot  undo  the  struc- 
ture of  our  minds,  or  perform  duty  for  us,  and  I  feel 
that  the  forgiveness  of  Heaven  cannot  make  me  happy 
until  I  have  the  forgiveness  of  my  wife  whom  I  de- 
serted, and  of  my  child  whom  I,  with  curses,  refused 
to  see  in  her  dying  hour. 


78  ADIBOXDACK    TALES. 

And  you  should  kno\v,  old  man,  that  I  am  dying, 
and  I  long  to  die ;  nor  do  I  ask  aught  save  that  I  may 
have  strength  to  tell  you  my  story,  and  give  you  a  few 
directions ;  for  it  will  ease  my  soul  to  talk  while  dying, 
and  I  know  it  will  delight  you  to  hear  of  the  goodness 
of  that  God  whom  you,  in  simple  reverence,  worship, 
and  to  learn  from  the  lips  of  a  dying  sinner  that  the 
w^oods  you  so  love  have  been  to  him  the  means  of  his 
salvation.  So  sit  you  down,  old  man,  and  listen  closely, 
for  I  am  weak,  and  I  w^ill  tell  you  the  story  of  my  life  ; 
—  why  I  am  here,  and  what  you  are  to  do  with  what 
is  left  of  me  and  mine  when  I  am  gone  from  here,  as 
I  soon  shall  be,  forever.'  " 

Well,  Henry,  I  seed  that  the  man  was  in  solemn 
'arnest,  and  I  knowed  the  Lord  was  apt  to  give  a 
mortal  nioh  death  a  foreknowin'  of  the"  time  and 
order  of  things  techin'  his  departur',  and  I  conceited 
the  man  was  right  in  his  idees,  and  that  it  would 
be  onreasonable  to  resist  him  ;  so  I  sot  down  on  the 
sand  by  his  side  and  said, '  Well,  friend,  I  allow  there's 
reason  in  your  words,  and  John  Norton  is  not  the  one  to 
argger  agin  a  dyin'  man  nor  distarb  his  thoughts  with 
foolish  talkin'.  And  it  may  be  ye  have  come  nigh 
the  eend  of  the  trail,  as  ye  say,  and  ef  so  I  sartinly 
advise  ye  to  onload  yerself  of  whatever  bears  heavy  on 
ye  ;  for  a  man  should  enter  the  Great  Clearin'  with 
nothin'  heavier  than  his  rifle  about  him,  and  ready 
for  whatever  sarvice  the  Lord  app'ints.  And  as 
to  the  directions,  ye  may  give  me  as  many  as  ye 
have    to  tell,  and  ef    it  be    wdthin  range    of    mortal 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  79 

power  it  shall  all  be  clone  as  ye  tell  me ;  for  I  have 
sot  beside  many  a  dyin'  man  arter  the  scrimmage 
was  over,  and  heerd  his  words,  and  not  one,  white 
or  redskin,  friend  or  inimy,  can  riss  in  the  jedg- 
ment  and  say  John  Norton  didn't  do  jest  as  he  was 
told  to  do.  So  you  jest  go  ahead  and  ease  yer  mind, 
John  Roberts,  and  me  and  the  hound  will  listen, 
and  as  we  larn  yer  wishes  so  will  we  do,  even  ef 
the  traps  ain't  sot  on  the  line  next  winter,  or  the 
trail  of  yer  arrand  takes  us  into  the  onnateral  noise 
and  diviitry  of  the  settlements:' 

So  I  promised  the  man,  Henry,  and  kept  my  word, 
as  the  hound,  there,  knows,  for  he  heerd  it  all 
and  seed  it  all  arterwards,  and  it  was  done  jest  as 
the  man  app'inted.  And  this  is  what  he  told  me  as 
he  lay  on  the  sand,  with  me  and  the  hound  hstenin'. 


CHAPTEK   VII 1. 

THE    miser's    confession. 

"  One  impulse  from  a  vernal  wood 
May  teach  you  more  of  man, 
Of  moral  evil  and  of  good, 

Than  all  the  sages  can."—  Wordsworth. 

"^My  father,  John  Norton,  was  a  miser,  althongh 
the  world  never  knew  it ;  but  he  loved  money,  and  all 
his  life  was  spent  in  getting  it.  He  lived  to  be  an  old 
man,  and  Avhen  he  died  he  was  buried  from  the  meet- 
ing-house —  for  he  was  a  deacon  in  the  church  —  and 
the  minister  preached  the  sermon,  and  told  the  people 
of  his  thrift  and  economy,  of  his  industry  and  sobriety, 
and  held  him  up  as  an  example,  Avhen  I  knew,  and  all 
who  kne\v  him  knew,  that  he  was  sober  when  others 
drank  simply  because  he  was  too  stingy  to  drink,  and 
that  his  industry  was  all  selfish,  and  that  his  economy 
was  miserly.  I  only  tell  you  this  to  let  you  know 
whence  I  <iot  my  love  of  money,  and  how  the  lust  of 
gain  came  in  me.  It  was  born  in  me,  John  Norton,  as 
much  as  the  power  of  scenting  was  born  in  your  hound  ; 
yea,  giyen  me  at  birth  from  the  miserly  nature  and 
habits  of  a  father  who  was  a  church  member,  and 
whose  character  and  mode  of  life  were  praised  by  the 
minister  when  they  buried  his  body. 

He  left  me  all  his  property,  for  I  w^as  his  only  child ; 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG    TOLD   ME.  81 

and  no  one  save  me  ever  knew  how  mucli  it  was,  for  it 
was  largely  in  gold  coin  that  he  had  hidden  away,  and 
which  he  told  me  of  and  where  to  find  it,  by  whisper- 
ing it  in  my  ear  when  he  was  dying.  I  was  thirty 
years  of  age  before  he  died,  and  the  property  fell  to 
me ;  and  until  I  had  the  gold  myself,  and  had  seen  it 
and  counted  it,  I  had  lived  a  happy  life ;  for  I  w^as 
married  to  an  angel,  and  had  three  children,  and  a 
happier  family  never  lived  than  we  were  before  the 
gold  came  to  me.  But  no  sooner  had  I  gotten  it  into 
my  possession  than  I  began  to  love  it.  Yea,  the  sight 
of  the  coin  started  the  lust  for  it  in  me,  and  woke  to 
full  life  the  awful  appetite  for  it  wdiich  was  in  him  and 
which  he  had  transmitted  to  me.  And  the  love  for 
that  gold  grew  on  me  as  T  handled  it ;  — and  handle  it 
I  did,  until  it  became  a  passion  with  me.  I  used  to 
get  up  nights  when  my  wife  w^as  sleeping  and  go  down 
cellar  where  I  kept  it  in  a  large  pot,  and  count  it  over, 
and  push  my  hands  into  it,  and  laugh  to  hear  it  rattle, 
and  to  see  it  shine  in  the  candle  lio-ht.  And  the  love 
of  it  grew^  and  grew  and  grew,  until  I  loved  nothing 
else.  And  with  the  oTowth  of  the  dreadful  lust  in  me 
there  grew  a  suspicion  of  men  and  women,  because  I 
had  got  it  into  my  head  that  they  w^ould  steal  it,  until 
at  last  I  grew  suspicious  of  my  own  wife  and  children, 
even  to  such  a  desfree  that  I  drove  them  out  of  the 
house  and  forbade  them  ever  to  cross  its  threshold 
again.  You  say  I  w^as  mad.  Yes,  I  w\as  mad  —  mad 
w^ith  the  awful  madness  of  one  in  wdiose  heart  is  a 
terrible  and  wicked  love ;  a  love  that  entices  him  and 


82  ADIBOXDACK   TALES. 

seduces  him  from  good  unto  evil,  and  finally  becomes 
stronor-er  than  conscience  —  strono^er  than  affection  for 
wife  and  children  —  yea,  stronger  than  his  fear  of  God. 
Yes,  I  was  mad  in  that  way,  and  the  madness  grew  in 
its  fury  until  it  became  a  continuous  frenzy,  and  my 
life  one  hell  of  raging  fear,  suspicion,  and  hatred  of 
my  kind.  I  need  not  tell  you  all,  for  you  would  not 
understand  it;  you  could  not  understand  it,  for  you 
have  never  handled  money  nor  known  the  love  of  it, 
and  are  as  a  child  in  your  knowledge  of  such  an  ex- 
perience. At  last  I  came  to  these  woods  ;  came  driven 
by  the  frenzy  of  fear  lest  men  should  steal  my  money ; 
came,  not  from  the  love  of  nature,  or  the  longing  for 
a  peaceful,  quiet,  innocent  life  ;  but  in  order  to  be 
where  my  money  would  be  safe,  for  my  money  was  my 
god,  my  life,  my  heaven,  and  I  feared  some  one  would 
steal  it,  and  so  i  brought  it  here  because  no  man  was 
here.  How  did  I  brino-  it  ?  I  brouoht  it  in  a  ke<r  ;  a 
keg  stout  and  large,  and  lined  with  my  own  hands; 
and  that  keg  was  my  altar,  my  shrine,  my  god.  John 
Norton,  remember  it's  a  dvino'  man  that  is  talkino-  to 
you,  when  I  tell  you  that  here,  on  this  very  beach 
where  I  noAv  lie,  and  you  sit,  I  have  sat  in  the  bright 
sunlight  and  in  the  solemn  moonlight,  too,  and  counted 
my  money  by  the  hour,  and  laughed  and  danced 
around  it  as  a  devil  might ;  yea,  I,  a  mortal  man,  have 
danced  around  a  pile  of  money  like  a  heathen  round 
his  idol,  with  the  great  blue  sky  overhead,  and  beyond 
the  sky  tlie  greater  God  looking  solemnly  down  with 
His  all-seeing  eyes  upon  me  and  my  gold.' 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  83 

And  here  the  man  paused,  Henry,  a  minit,  and  he 
panted  Hke  a  young  faan  in  her  fust  race  with  the 
hounds,  for  he  was  overtalkin'  his  strength,  and  I 
feered  he  would  die  for  sartin  ef  he  didn't  fetch 
up  a  bit  and  git  rested  ;  so  I  thought  I  had  better 
give  him  a  lift  in  the  right  direction  bv  talkin'  a 
leetle  myself,  and  I  drawed  at  a  ventur,'  like  a  man 
who  sends  the  lead  by  his  notions  of  the  sound, 
when  it's  too  dusky  to  get  his  eye  into  the  sights, 
and  said : 

Ef  I  was  in  your  place,  Mr.  Roberts,  I  would  sot 
down  and  rest  a  bit,  for  ye  be  travellin'  with  a  big 
load  over  a  rough  carry,  ef  I  am  any  jedge,  and  ye 
be  gittin'  sort  of  shaky-like  in  yer  legs,  and  ye 
will  come  down  in  a  heap  pritty  soon  ef  ye  don't 
steady  up  a  bit  and  take  it  a  leetle  easier ;  for  me 
and  the  hound  mean  to  fetch  ye  round  yit ;  that 
is,  ef  the  tea  don't  gin  out,  and  the  Lord's  app'int- 
ments  be  not  agin  it.  So  ye  jest  hold  up  a  minit 
or  two,  and  rest  while  we  stir  in  a  few  more  leaves 
of  the  yarb,  and  steep  it  for  ye  easy-like,  for  tea 
can't  be  hurried  no  more  than  a  slow  hound  in  the 
beginnin'  of  a  race,  before  he's  got  the  scent  warm 
in  his  nose,  and  his  faculties  w^orkin'.  No,  the  yarb 
is  spunky  and  knows  its  own  importance,  and  w^on't 
stand  rouoh  treatment  ;  and  ef  ve  bile  it  a  bit  its 
vartu'  is  gone,  for  a  wallopin'  pot  spiles  the  tea ;  so 
ye  give  me  and  the  hound  time  to  do  the  thing  up 
accordin'  to  the  rules  and  practices  of  correct  obsar- 
vation,    and    we  will  give    ye  a   lift    that'll  make  ye 


84  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

grateful  to  us  both ;  aud  I  don't  catch  the  pith  of 
your  last  sayin'  about  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  bein' 
terrible  as  he  was  lookin'  at  ye,  and  I  can't  conceit 
of  it,  nohow.  Now,  the  eyes  of  a  panther  be  terrible, 
sure  enough,  and  I  have  lined  the  sights  by  'em 
when  they  barnt  a  hole  in  the  darkness ;  and  I 
have  had  many  a  clinch  with  a  Huron  in  a  scrim- 
mage, when  I  w^as  younger,  when  the  blood  of  his 
savagery  was  up,  and  his  eyes  was  as  red  as  an 
adder's ;  but  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  as  I  have  seed 
'em  in  the  works  of  his  hand,  have  always  been 
strong,  for  sartin,  but  gentle  and  mild  as  a  mother 
doe  when  her  faan  is  friskin'  around  her ;  and  I 
can't  conceit  of  the  face  of  the  Lord  as  bein'  terrible, 
nor  understand  how  a  mortal  could  be  afeered  to 
have  'em  on  him.' 

And  all  the  while,  Henry,  I  kept  preparin'  the 
fire  for  the  tea.  But  the  man  broke  in  on  me, 
and  said,  — 

'  Old  man,  leave  off  preparing  that  tea  and  hear 
me.  Naught  that  you  can  do  will  prevent  my  dying, 
for  it  is  written  that  I  die  this  day,  and  I  feel 
within  my  soul  that  my  hour  is  drawing  nigh.  Leave 
off  your  preparations,  therefore,  for  your  efforts  can- 
not save  me  from  death,  nor  would  I  have  it  other- 
wise if  I  could.  I  want  you  to  listen  and  hear  my 
w^ords,  nor  move  again  until  I  am  done.' 

So  I  sot  down  agin,  and  the  hound  came  and 
sot  down  on  the  other  side  of  the  man,  and  then  he 
began  to  talk :  — 


THE  8T0BY  THAT  THE  KECi    TOLD  ME.  S^ 

^  John  Norton,  I  came  to  these  woods  a  miserable 
miser.  There  was  in  all  my  life  but  one  love,  and 
that  was  for  money.  Money  I  loved,  loved  it  with  all 
the  strenofth  of  my  nature.  For  a  ears  I  had  thouo-ht 
of  notliino"  else,  and  cared  for  nothing"  else.  For 
years  I  had  no  joy  but  the  fierce  joy  of  seeing 
it  and  c juntiug-  it.  To  me  my  money  was  all  there 
was  in  the  whole  universe  worth  loving,  — the  one 
idol  of  my  soul.  I  brought  it  here  because  no  man 
w^as  here,  and  hence  knew  it  could  not  be  stolen. 
With  it  safe  I  Avas  happy.  With  it  secure  I  asked 
no  higher  boon.  I  was  not  only  a  miser,  but  I 
was  hardened  in  all  my  nature.  The  lust  of  gold 
had  eaten  out  all  other  cravino^s.  All  noble  affec- 
tions,  all  tender  sympathies,  all  truthful  qualities,  all 
charities  and  fine  emotions  had  been  banished  from 
my  bosom  by  this  all-absorbing  passion.  I  was  only 
a  shell  of  a  man  inhabited  by  one  great  devil.  This 
devil  in  me  had  his  fierce  joy,  his  tormenting  sus- 
picions, his  rending  rage,  his  agonies  and  his  pangs ; 
but  no  trace  of  humanity,  no  fibre  of  charity,  no 
possibility  of  peace.  Thus  possessed,  I  came  to  this 
lake.  You  must  not  think  I  had  not  been  entreated ; 
for  man  and  w^oman  had  alike  be^n  faithful  to  me, 
and  with  prayers,  with  tears,  with  w^arnings  and 
exhortations  had  striven  to  deliver  me  from  the  devil 
within,  and  bring  me  to  my  right  mind.  But  neither 
man  nor  woman,  neither  wife  nor  child,  nor  the 
Spirit  of  God  acting  in  and  through  these  could 
make  me  see  the  greatness  of  my  sin,   or  the  emptl- 


86  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

ness  o£  my  passion,  or  the  vanity  of  my  life.  These 
I  could  resist  and  had  resisted.  Man  could  not 
master  the  devil  in  me  or  drive  hhn  out  of  my  soul. 

But  here  the  demon  was  met  by  other  agents 
and  agencies  he  could  not  resist,  and  here  the 
devil  in  me  was  mastered.  By  whom  and  what? 
By  Nature,  I  reply,  and  by  the  irresistible  majesties 
of  God  in  Nature.  Here  the  greatness  of  my 
surroundino-s  made  me  small,  and  the  immeasurable 
sjDlendors  above  me  at  night,  and  the  glories  around 
me  by  day,  made  my  gold  seem  contemptible.  Not 
that  these  influences  came  to  be  felt  at  once  ;  not 
that  the  conviction  produced  by  them  was  sudden, 
for  it  was  not ;  but  slowly,  subtly,  and  in  a  way  I 
could  not  fight ;  with  a  power  I  could  not  resist, 
out  of  the  silence  of  space,  out  of  the  blue  sky 
and  the  uplifted  mountains,  out  of  sunrise  and 
sunset,  out  of  the  Avater  and  the  air,  out  of  the 
solemn  nights  and  the  succession  of  splendid  days 
there  came  regeneration  to  my  soul.  Within  me 
was  born  in  this  mystical  way  a  sense  of  larger 
and  holier  things,  and  moods  of  worship,  and  gener- 
ous thouolits,  and  lonoinos  for  what  was  fine  and 
far  ahead  ;  so  that,  involuntarily,  and  before  I  was 
aware,  a  change  came  to  me  in  my  likes  and  feelings, 
and  I  beheld  as  with  eyes  newly  opened  the  signifi- 
cance of  things,  the  use  of  life  and  the  true  applica- 
tion of  its  lessons.  I  said  my  eyes  were  opened  ;  and 
they  were,  so  that  I  who  had  never  thought  of 
the   beyond   and    the  coming,  but    had    lived  in   the 


THE  STORY  THAT   THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  87 

here  and  the  now,  was  compelled  by  a  force  within 
me  to  look  constantly  np  and  ahead  into  the  great 
unseen  and  unknown.  And  this  force  within  me  I 
could  not  resist ;  it  was  stronger  than  my  will  and 
mightier  than  habit,  and,  forced  by  its  energy,  I 
yielded.  And  then  out  of  the  unknown  and  the 
unseen  there  came  forth,  as  the  blaze  of  a  beacon 
from  darkness  and  distance,  a  vision,  and  it  scared 
me  at  first  to  face  it,  but  at  last  I  was  able ;  and 
the  vision  that  blazed  out  upon  me  from  tlie  darkness 
and  the  distance,  terrible  in  its  brightness,  w\as  the 
Vision  of  Immortality, 

John  Norton,  this  vision  haunted  me.     The  vision 
of  life  beyond,  stretching  on  forever  and  forever,  un- 
intermittent  and  endless,  lay  like  a  mountain  on  my 
guilty    soul.     And    out    of    the    conception    came    an 
awful  scrutiny  that  searclied  me  through  and  through 
like  a  knife.      And  out  of  this  searching,  amid  agony 
and    pangs,    was    born    a    Conscience ;    a    Conscience 
which  pinched  me  like  a  vice,  and  wrung  groans  and 
cries  of  remorse  out  of  my  mouth,  until,  at  times,  the 
silence  of  the  night  was  filled  wdth  my  moaning.     It 
was  the  silence  that  did  it,  old  man  ;  for  the  silence 
was  more  than  silence  ;  it  w^as  GOD.      I  could  not  fly 
from  it ;  I  could  not  escape  its  rebukes  ;  I  could  not 
hide    myself    from    its    solemn    upbraidings.     It   con- 
demned me  for  the  life  I  had  lived  ;  it  upbraided  me 
for  the  passion  I  had  nursed  ;  it  threatened  me  with 
the  censure  of  a  just  and  holy  verdict.      Here,  on  this 
point,  in  the  midst  of  the   aU-surrounding   silence,   I 


88  ADinOXDACK  TALES. 

found  my  Judgment  Day.  Here  my  mind  lost  the 
petty  measurement  of  time,  and  took  to  itself  in 
perfect  sensing"  the  realization  of  eternity.  Here  I 
wrestled  with  the  Spirit  that  has  not  form,  and  strove 
with  the  Energy  that  can  never  be  incarnate  ;  the 
Spirit  of  Justice  and  Love  commingled  with  the 
energy  of  God.  Here,  old  man,  I  strove  ;  here  I  was 
overcome  ;  and  here  I  yielded  ;  ay,  yiekled  to  a  test. 
And  the  test  was  this  :  that  I  shoukl  deliberately, 
with  mv  own  hands,  empty  into  the  waters  of  this 
lake  the  gold  I  had  loved  like  a  devil  ;  and  to  keep 
which,  without  fear  of  losing  it.  I  had  been  self-ban- 
ished from  my  kindred  and  kind  and  had  come  to  this 
Icju'ly  like.  Yes,  I  yielded  ;  yielded  to  the  power  I 
coukl  not  resist  ;  the  power  of  the  Lord  who  made 
and  inha])its  these  woods,  and  whose  presence  I  saw 
and  felt  in  their  beauty,  and  majesty,  and  silence. 
And  I  cried  unto  Him  to  whom  I  had  yielded,  for 
strenotli  to  do  the  test ;  cried  unto  Him  on  my  knees, 
with  my  hands  on  the  keg  that  held  the  gold,  for 
strength  to  deliver  my  soul  from  its  horrible  spell,  and 
pour  it — -every  dollar  of  it  —  into  the  waters  of  the 
lake.  And  He  gave  me  strength,  old  man,  —  even  in 
answer  to  my  prayer  did  He  strengthen  me  to  do  the 
deed  which,  being  done,  delivered  me  from  the  spell 
of  the  power  that  had  held  me,  and  from  the  bondage 
to  the  terrible  lust.  And  last  night  the  battle  was 
fought,  and  the  victory  won,  and  I  was  dehvered  from 
Hell.  For  I  prayed  unto  Him,  and  he  listened  and 
heard ;  and  I  lifted  the  keg  and  carried  it  to  mv  boat, 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEa    TOLD  ME.  89 

and  paddled  to  the  iiiiddle  of  the  lake.  And  there, 
with  hell  and  heaven  to  see,  I  lifted  the  keg  in  my 
arms  and  held  it  out  over  the  water,  and  poured  the 
gold  I  had  worshipped  into  its  depths.  And  there 
and  then,  when  the  deed  was  done,  the  blessing  of  the 
Lord  came  on  me,  and  His  marvellous  peace  stole  into 
mv  soul.  It  came  to  me  from  the  air,  and  the  water, 
and  the  skv ;  from  the  bosom  of  the  white  moon- 
liirhted  stillness  ;  from  the  motionless  woods  and  the 
shores  ;  from  the  air  around  me  and  the  infinite  spaces 
above  and  beyond  ;  came  to  me,  Old  Trapper,  from 
the  outbreathings  of  that  God  who  is  Spirit,  and  in 
whom  the  innocent  and  the  forgiven  live,  and  move, 
and  have  being.' 

Here  the  man  came  to  a  halt,  Henry,  and  he  looked 
into  my  eyes  as  ef  he  wanted  to  see  ef  I  understood, 
and  arter  a  minit  or  two  he  said,  '  Old  Man,  do  you 
understand  me  ?  ' 

'  Well,'  said  I  to  him,  '  I  can't  say  that  the  trail  of 
yer  talk  is  altogether  plain  to  me,  Mr.  Roberts,  but 
me  and  the  hound  has  kept  our  eyes  on  ye  as  ye 
blazed  along  on  the  line,  and  I  guess  we  have  got  the 
ofineral  direction  of  it.  I  can  see  for  sartin  that  ye 
had  a  rough  trip,  and  a  heavy  pack  to  carry,  and  ye 
must  have  found  it  hard  backin'  at  times.  It  seems  to 
me  ef  ye  had  onloaded  earlier  xa  would  have  fetched 
through  in  better  shape  and  saved  valuable  time,  for 
ye  look  to  me  like  a  man  who  hasn't  got  over  the 
carry  'til  dusk,  and  can't  be  of  much  sarvice  to  the 
camp   'til   another   sunrise  ;  but  I  think  ye  have  got 


90  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

across  for  sartin  and  be  out  of  the  woods,  and  that's 
a  good  deal  to  say  of  a  man  who  has  been  lost  and 
fooled  away  half  his  day  by  walking  in  circles,  and  I 
re j 'ice  that  ye  be  where  ye  be,  and  know  Avhich  way 
the  trail  leads  arter  this ;  and  ef  ye  be  sartin  of  the  lay 
of  the  land  ahead  and  know  where  the  line  ye  be  on 
leads  to,  ye  oughter  feel  contented  and  happy-like,  as 
I  dare  say  ye  do,  Mr.  Roberts.' 

'  Yes,  I  do  feel  contented  and  happy,'  said  he, 
'  happier  than  words  may  tell.  My  sin  has  been 
great,  but  the  mercy  of  God  is  greater,  and  I  feel  I 
can  trust  Him  here  and  beyond.  I  have  lived  as  no 
man  should  live ;  but  here,  on  this  beach  to-day,  my 
life  will  end,  and  when  I  am  gone  you  may  think  of 
me  as  a  sinner  whose  sin  was  forgiven  and  whose  soul 
had  found  peace.' 

Arter  this  he  didn't  say  much  for  some  time,  but 
lay  with  his  eyes  lookin'  up  to  the  sky  and  a  quiet 
sort  of  a  look  on  his  face.  I  conceited  the  man  was 
thinkin'  of  things,  and  it  may  be  of  people,  a  good 
ways  ofP,  and  that  it  wouldn't  be  right  to  distarb  him 
in  his  meditations.  But  arter  a  while  I  said  to  him, 
for  I  felt  a  leetle  oneasy  on  the  subject,  for  I  feered 
he  would  forgit  it,  —  '  Mr.  Roberts,  ye  spoke  about 
some  directions  ye  wanted  to  give  me,  and  perhaps  ye 
had  better  say  what  ye  have  in  mind  on  the  matter, 
so  me  and  the  hound  may  know  jest  what  ye  want  did 
by  and  by;  for  we  shall  mind  and  do  jest  as  ye  tell 
us,  ef  it  be  within  the  range  of  our  gifts,  and  death 
don't  overtake  us  on  the  arrand.' 


THE  STOBT  THAT  THE  KEG    TOLD   ME.  91 

Well,  arter  a  leetle  Avliile  he  turned  his  ej^es  on  me 
and  said  :  '  I  suppose  it  don't  make  much  difference 
where  or  how  my  body  is  buried,  arter  I  am  gone ;  do 
you,  Old  Trapper  ?  " 

^  Well,  no,  I  don't  think  it  does,  Mr.  Roberts,  when 
ve  git  right  down  to  the  gist  of  the  matter ;  but  every 
cri^tur  is  born  with  his  prejudices,  and  has  his  own 
idec^s  of  what  is  right  and  proper  teching  things  to 
b3  done  ;  and  I  conceit  the  Lord  allows  a  man  to 
fetch  his  line  about  where  he  pleases  in  p'ints  of 
parsonal  jedgment ;  and  ef  I  was  in  your  place  I 
should  have  my  own  way  about  my  burial,  and  have 
every  thin'  did  straight  and  systematic-like,  accordin' 
to  my  own  idees  of  the  thing.  Now,  me  and  the 
hound  there  has  our  own  notions  about  the  treatment 
the  mortal  frame  should  receive  arter  the  sperit  has 
left  it,  and  we  conceit  that  it  should  be  treated  as  a 
Huron  treats  his  lodo^e  when  he  is  about  to  move  out 
of  it  forever.  But  we  can  o^uess  our  notions  wouldn't 
suit  ye  nor  seem  reasonable-like,  because  ye  was  edi- 
cated  another  way,  and  I  have  always  noted  that  a 
man  sticks  to  his  'arly  edication  as  a  moose  sticks  to 
his  gait.  So  we  won't  distarb  ye  with  our  idees ;  but 
do  jest  as  ye  tell  us  to,  even  ef  it  be  agin  reason,  as 
me  and  the  hound  understand  it.' 

Well,  the  man  seemed  to  be  sort  of  encouraged  to 
say  his  mind  out  arter  what  I  had  said,  and  arter  look- 
ing at  the  sky  a  wdiile,  wdth  his  eyes  half-shet,  he 
said,  — 

'  Do  you  know,  John  Norton,  for  days  I  have  been 


92  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

haunted  with  the  fear  of  dying  alone  ;  I  dare  say  it  is 
foolish  of  me,  but  I  can't  help  it,  nevertheless,  and  I 
praise  the  Lord  that  He  has  sent  you  to  me  in  the 
hour  of  my  need.  The  sight  of  your  face  helps  me 
inexpressibly,  and  the  sound  of  your  voice  has  ban- 
ished the  terrible  loneliness  from  my  soul.  Yes,  I 
shall  die  happy,  now  that  the  companionship  of  my 
kind  is  given  me  in  death.  When  I  am  gone  I  want 
you  to  give  me  a  decent  burial,  as  they  do  down  on 
the  coast  where  I  was  born.  And  the  way  of  it  is 
this  :  They  dress  tlie  body  in  good  clothes,  and  put  it 
in  a  coffin,  and  they  read  a  chapter  or  two  from  the 
Bible  at  the  house  where  the  man  hved,  and  the  min- 
ister prays  and  the  choir  sings.  Then  they  take  the 
coffin  to  the  grave  and  bury  it,  and  they  generally 
have  a  prayer  at  the  grave  ;  and  they  sod  the  grave, 
and  put  a  slab  of  stone  at  the  head,  and  plant  flowers 
on  the  mound.  I  know,  old  man,  that  you  can't  do 
all  this,  and  you  needn't  try.  Only  do  the  best  you 
can,  that  is  all ;  especially  bury  me  so  the  wolves  can't 
get  my  bones ;  and  say  a  few  pious  words  above  the 
grave.' 

Well,  arter  this  he  said  nothin'  for  a  full  hour, 
and  I  said  nothin'  neither,  for  it  was  plain  that  his 
feet  was  on  the  very  edge  of  the  Great  Clearin', 
and  I  felt  it  was  nateral  for  a  man  standin'  at  the 
very  eend  of  the  trail  to  want  to  look  around  him 
in  silence  awhile ;  and  so  I  said  nothin',  for  I  feered 
to  distarb  his  mind  as  he  stood  lookin'  into  the 
etarnal  world.     By  and  by  he  said  :  — 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG    TOLD   ME.  93 

'  Old  man,  the  hour  is  ahiiost  come  when  I  must 
go,  and  the  way  ahead  is  dark.  I  see  no  light 
and  no  helper.      What  can  I  do  ?  ' 

'John  Roberts,'  T  said,  for  I  could  see  by  the 
look  of  his  face  and  the  fear  in  his  voice  that  he 
was  in  trouble,  like  a  boy  lost  in  the  woods,  '  stick 
to  the  trail  and  keep  yer  eye  on  the  blazed  line 
of  His  marcy.  Don't  hurry,  but  take  it  slow  and 
sarcumspectly  and  trust  to  the  markin's.  I  have 
heerd  said  that  the  carry  ye  be  on  led  through  a 
valley,  dim  and  dusky  as  a  stretch  of  pine  land  by 
night,  but  that  the  man  who  stuck  to  the  line  would 
fetch  through  all  right.  And  remember,  that  me 
and  the  hound  isn't  fur  behind,  and  sartinly  the 
Lord  ain't  far  ahead ;  so  stick  to  the  line,  and  don't 
swing  a  foot  from  the  trail,  and  ye  Avill  sartinly 
strike  risin'  land  afore  lono^  and  see  lioht.'  And  I 
moved  close  up  to  his  side  and  lifted  his  head  into 
my  lap,  so  he  could  catch  his  breath  easier ;  for 
he  was  laborin'  heavily,  and  I  knowed  he  couldn't 
stand  it  much  longer. 

So  I  sot  in  the  sand  holdin'  his  head,  and  the 
hound  sot  at  his  feet,  and  w^e  both  kept  our  eyes 
on  the  face ;  and  arter  our  fashion  I  prayed  for  the 
man,  and  put  the  case  before  the  Lord  in  a  strong 
sort  of  a  w^ay,  I  can  tell  ye. 

Well,  arter  a  while  a  great  change  came  over  his 
features.  He  opened  his  eyes  and  looked  into  my 
face  in  a  happy  way  as  if  he  had  seen  a  new  sight, 
and  a  smile  crept  over  his  lips,  and  his  countenance 
softened  like  the  clouds  arter  storm,  and  he  said :  — 


94  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

'  Old  man,  old  man,  I  see  light  ahead  ! '  And  then 
he  drew  a  long,  contented  sort  of  a  breath,  moved 
his  legs  out  easily  in  the  sand,  sort  of  rolled  his 
head  gently  over  in  my  lap  as  ef  goin'  to  sleep, 
closed  his  eyes,  and  his  sperit,  without  groan  or 
struggle,  stole  out  of  the  body  in  which  it  had 
lodged  so  long  in  trouble,  and  passed  through  the 
clear  light  and  pure  air  up  to  its  Maker.  And  that 
is  the  way,  Henry,  he  came  to  the  eend  of  the  trail, 
and  I  reckon  he  found  the  Lord  of  marcy  waitin'  for 
him  at  the  edge  of  the  Clearin'. 

So  I  sot  in  the  sand,  with  the  head  in  my  lap, 
closin'  his  eyes,  and  the  hound,  accordin'  to  his  gifts, 
came  and  put  his  nose  agin  the  cheek,  and  then 
walked  down  to  the  eend  of  the  p'int,  and  sot  down 
on  his  ha'nches,  and  lifted  his  nose  into  the  air 
and  lamented." 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE    DEATH    WATCH. 

"  In  vain  the  she-wolf  stands  at  bay  ; 
The  blinded  catamount  that  lies 
Higli  in  the  houghs  to  watch  his  prej^, 
Even  in  the  act  of  springing,  dies." — Bryant. 

"  Well,  Henry,  I  didn't  do  nothin'  about  the 
burial  until  next  day,  for  I  thought  it  looked  more 
decent-like  not  to  hurry  the  matter  of  entarment, 
and,  m or' over,  I  conceited  it  was  no  more  than 
reasonable  that  me  and  the  hound  should  hold  a 
council  over  the  matter  ;  for  there's  nothin'  helps  a 
man's  jedgment  more  on  any  p'int,  whether  it  be 
a  funeral  or  a  scrimmage,  than  to  set  down  and  talk 
it  over  with  a  companion ;  and  me  and  the  hound 
has  consorted  so  much  together  that  we  understand 
each  other  and  never  differ  on  the  main  p'ints  of  a 
case  —  although  I  do  think  that  he  lost  a  panther 
last  fall  by  gittin'  the  scent  wrong  eend  to  in  his 
nose,  and  leadin'  off  like  an  unlarned  pup  on  the 
heel  of  the  track ;  but  the  hound  thought  otherwise, 
and  mayhaps  I  was  mistaken.  So  I  went  down  on 
the  eend  of  the  p'int  where  he  was  lamentin'  accordin' 
to  his  gifts,  and  put  it  to  him  that  we  had  better 
camp  just  where  we  was,  on  the  trail,  and  lay  over 


96  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

till  another  clay,  and  I  give  him  the  reasons  for 
it  systematic-like  from  beginnin'  to  eend,  and  made 
the  p'ints  plain  accordin'  to  the  natiir'  of  the  ease, 
and  we  both  agreed  to  it.  And  we  jined  jedgment, 
furthermore,  in  this,  that  the  body  oughter  be  carried 
to  a  camp  and  watched  and  not  left  on  the  p'int 
for  fear  the  varmints  would  oit  to  it  over  nioht  and 
mistreat  the  corpse.  So  we  went  back  to  the  body, 
and  carried  it  to  my  boat  and  laid  it  down  on  some 
boughs  I  had  cut  for  it,  and  the  hound  followed 
on  keerful-like  and  sot  down  at  the  feet  of  the 
body,  and  I  got  in  at  the  other  eend  and  shoved 
off,  and  so  we  fetched  the  dead  over  the  water 
till  we  come  to  this  pine  knoll,  and  here  me  and 
the  hound  come  ashore  with  the  body,  and  sot 
about  preparin'  for  the  death-watch  we  knowed  we 
must  hold  over  night. 

Well,  Henry,  it  was  sorter  new  work,  ye  see,  for 
me  and  the  hound  ;  for  though  I  have  buried  many  a 
man  in  the  trenches  arter  the  fight,  and  though  I  have 
kivered  up  a  good  numy  redskins  off  and  on  in  my 
life,  yit  I  Avasn't  very  handy  at  the  mournin'  equip- 
ments of  the  settlements.  But  I  have  seed  many  a 
gineral  laid  out  on  his  bier,  in  the  old  wars,  with  his 
uniform  on  and  his  sword  by  his  side,  and  the  death 
sentries  on  duty,  and  the  muffled  drums  all  beatin' ; 
and  I  conceited  that  though  Mr.  Roberts  wasn't  a 
gineral,  nor  even  a  privit  in  the  ranks  for  that  matter, 
that  he  should  be  treated  in  an  honorable  way  now  he 
was  dead. 


THE  STORY  THAT  THE  KEG  TOLD  ME.  97 

So  I  cut  some  crotches  and  drove  'em  into  the 
ground,  and  made  a  frame  o£  small  white  birches 
about  the  size  of  a  bier,  and  on  these  I  put  a  layer  of 
balsam  and  cedar  boughs,  and  over  these  I  scattered 
pine  tufts  until  I  had  a  bed  fit  for  the  dead  or  livin', 
gineral  or  privit,  and  I  laid  in  plenty  of  hard  wood 
for  my  fire,  and  some  pitch  knots,  for  I  said  to  myself, 
'  Ef  the  animils  come  round  I  will  have  to  shine  up  on 
'em,  and  defend  the  corpse ; '  for  I  feered  the  pan- 
thers —  for  this  lake  be  a  great  spot  for  the  varmints, 
and  'leven  year  agone  there  was  sartinly  as  many  as 
there  be  now.  And  arter  I  had  got  the  bier  ready  I 
laid  the  body  on  it,  and  bolstered  the  head  up  nateral- 
like,  and  then  me  and  the  hound  sot  down  to  supper, 
with  a  dead  man  at  the  table.  AYe  didn't  waste  time 
in  the  eatin',  for  the  sun  was  already  down,  and  by 
the  time  we  had  cleaned  things  up  night  had  come. 

Well,  Henry,  I  took  my  stand  at  the  foot  of  the 
bier,  and  kept  my  death-watch,  rifle  in  hand,  steady 
as  a  sentry  on  duty,  save  when  I  stirred  the  fire  or 
lighted  a  pine  knot.  For  the  animils  was  oneasy,  as 
they  always  is  when  a  corpse  is  round,  and  I  needed 
the  pine  knots  more  than  once,  and  some  of  the  var- 
mints got  the  tech  of  lead  and  the  smell  of  powder 
that  night,  I  tell  ye,  for  they  was  full  of  their  divil- 
ments,  and  made  me  and  the  hound  as  wakeful  as  ef 
we  was  surrounded  by  inimies." 

"  Did  you  really  have  to  kill  anything  ?  "  I  asked, 
speaking  for  the  first  time  in  an  hour  ;  for  the  Old 
Trapper  had  told  his  story  with  such  naturalness  of 


98  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

intonation  and  gesture  that  he  had  hekl  me  spell- 
bound by  his  narrative  —  for  no  one  could  hear  him 
tell  the  strange  tale  he  was  telling  and  not  be  carried 
along  by  the  movement  of  it,  —  and  now  that  he  was 
evidently  reaching  the  climax,  I  feared  I  should  miss 
some  detail  of  his  experience  which  being  omitted 
would  mar  the  narration,  so,  hoping  to  hold  his  utter- 
ance to  the  line  of  actual  occurrence,  I  said,  "  Did  you 
have  to  kill  anything  that  night  ?  " 

"  Well,  yis,  I  did,"  he  replied.  "  I  bored  a  hole 
through  a  dog  wolf  over  there  on  the  beach,  arter  I 
had  borne  his  onnateral  howlin'  as  Ion 2^  as  a  mortal 
could  ;  and  I  dropped  a  cat  from  that  dead  cedar, 
arter  me  and  the  hound  had  stood  the  stare  of  her 
eyes  for  ten  minutes  or  more,  and  about  two  in  the 
mornin*  a  litter  of  panthers  crawled  in  on  us  ontil 
the  bush  seemed  alive  with  'em,  and  I  lifted  the  scalp 
of  the  biofofest  of  the  drove,  arter  he  had  oot  within 
forty  feet  of  the  corpse  and  paid  no  more  attention  to 
the  brands  I  pitched  at  him  than  ef  they  was  tufts  of* 
sod  ;  so,  with  a  pine  knot  all  afire  in  one  hand,  to 
show  me  the  sights,  I  drove  the  lead  in  between  his 
infarnal  eyes  in  a  style  that  taught  'em  all  manners 
for  the  rest  of  the  watch.  Yis,  Henry,  we  had  a 
solemn  and  lively  time  of  it,  for  sartin,  that  night, 
and  at  times  it  looked  as  ef  there  would  be  no  funeral 
the  next  day  ;  leastways,  none  that  me  and  the  hound 
would  attend,  onless  we  made  one  for  ourselves  ;  but 
we  stood  to  our  post,  and  between  the  brands  and  the 
lead  and  the  help  of  the  Lord  we  brought  the  body 
through  safe  'til  sunrise. 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG  TOLD  ME.  99 

But  it  Avas  mighty  solemn  wateliin'  by  the  body  all 
by  myself  on  the  shores  of  this  lake  here  that  night ; 
for  at  times  the  animils  would  make  the  air  roar  and 
scream,  and  the  mountains  to  yelp  as  ef  the  upper 
world  was  inhabited  with  cats  and  w^olves  and  pan- 
thers, and  then  they  would  suddenly  become  quiet, 
and  the  w^orld  round  about  was  nothin'  but  silence 
with  the  moon  shinin'  through  it ;  and  the  dead  man's 
face  w^as  white  as  the  moon  and  still  as  the  air,  for 
his  troubles  was  over  and  the  marks  of  them  passed 
from  his  featur's  when  his  breath  went  away.  And 
so  me  and  the  hound  kept  our  w^atch  by  the  dead,  'til 
the  sun  riz  in  the  east,  and  the  hour  had  come  for  the 
funeral." 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE    FUNERAL. 

"  And  let  there  be  prepared  a  chariot-bier, 
To  take  me  to  the  river,  and  a  barge 
Be  ready  on  the  river."  —  Tennyson. 

"  The  fust  thing  to  do  was  to  fix  on  the  spot  for  the 
grave,  which  took  leetle  time  to  settle,  for  it  seemed 
iTateral  that  the  body  should  lie  nigh  where  it  had 
lived  ;  and  natur'  sartinly  had  made  a  fit  spot  for  it 
jest  up  on  the  bluff,  off  the  p'int ;  for  it  was  clean 
and  sweet  there,  and  the  pines  was  always  singin' 
overhead.  And  ef  a  man  is  to  be  buried  under- 
ground arter  he  is  dead,  which  me  and  the  hound 
hold  to  be  onreasonable  and  heathenish-like,  I  conceit 
he  should  be  laid  in  a  sightly  spot,  with  a  good  out- 
look to  it,  and  not  stuck  away  in  a  swale  or  mash  as 
ef  he  was  no  better  nor  a  cat,  or  a  root-eatin'  hedofe- 
hog.  So  I  shaped  me  a  spade  from  a  slab  I  rived 
from  a  pine  the  lightnin'  had  levelled,  and  digged  the 
grave  deep  in  the  dry  sand  under  the  pines,  and  filled 
it  half  full  of  pine  stems  and  cedar  twigs,  and  other 
sweet-smellin'  things  that  growed  around  ;  and  on  the 
green  stuff  I  flung  in  an  armful  of  white  lilies  I 
plucked  in  the  bay,  to  make  the  bed  look  cheerful  and 
fittin'  for  a  mortal  to  lie  in.  When  this  was  done  I 
come  back  to  this  spot  and  did  to  my  boat  what  I  had 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KE0  TOLD  ME. ^   ,.,  ,M)1 

done  to  the  grave ;  made  it  green,  and  sweet,  and  hand- 
some, with  the  growths  of  natur'  that  had  pleasant 
scents  in  'em,  ontil  the  boat  was  nigh  on  to  full.  And 
then  I  lifted  the  body  and  laid  it  at  length,  and  put 
the  hands  alongside  each  other  on  his  breast,  and, 
with  the  hound  in  the  bow  of  the  boat  and  me  in 
the  starn,  I  swung  out  into  the  lake,  and  with  easy 
stroke  lined  a  course  straight  as  an  arrow  could  go 
toward  the  p'int.  And  so,  without  the  presence  of 
wife  or  child,  or  kin  of  any  kind  to  attend  him ; 
without  bell,  or  drum,  or  priest,  the  man  who  had  de- 
sarted  his  home  and  fellow-bein's  went  towards  his 
grave. 

Well,  arter  a  while  the  boat  teched  the  sand,  and  the 
hound  got  out ;  and  I  shoved  it  up  a  leetle  further  and 
I  got  out ;  and  liftin'  the  body  in  my  arms  I  carried  it 
up  the  p'int,  and  climbed  the  knoll  till  I  come  to  the 
grave,  and  I  laid  the  corpse  down  on  the  pine  tufts 
and  the  lilies.  And  I  recalled  all  the  man  had  told 
me  about  the  singin'  and  the  prayer  and  the  Book,  and 
I  did  the  best  I  could,  under  the  sarcumstances,  to  fol- 
low the  trail  of  his  directions,  and  I  knowed  ef  I  did 
the  best  I  could  accordin'  to  my  gifts,  the  sperit  of  the 
man  would  overlook  the  rest;  but  I  felt  sartin  that 
somethin'  oughter  be  said  out  of  the  ordinary  run  of 
human  talkin',  or  the  man  wouldn't  be  more  than  half 
buried  arter  'twas  all  ended.  And  the  hound  seemed 
to  jine  with  me  in  the  idee,  for  he  looked  up  in  my 
face  in  a  questionin'  way,  as  ef  askin'  when  the  sar- 
vice  was  to  begin.     So    arter    a   minit  I  got    down 


10^  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

on  my  knees  and  told  the  Lord  what  I  thought  was 
jedicious.  I  think  I  can  recall  jest  about  what  1  said 
word  for  word,  for  my  mem'ry  is  good,  and  a  man 
don't  talk  over-fast,  Henry,  in  secli  sarcumstances, 
and  it  has  all  come  back  to  me  sence  I  sot  here 
to-night  as  ef  it  w^as  but  yisterday  I  buried  the  man, 
and  I  can  gin  ye  the  words  pretty  nigh.  Yis,  I 
got  down  on  my  knees  by  the  edge  of  the  grave 
and  said  :  — 

'  Great  Sperit,  here  lies  the  body  of  one  of  Thy 
creturs.  His  'arthly  ways  was  known  to  Thee,  and  the 
wrong  of  his  wickedness  was  not  hidden.  He  seems 
to  have  straightened  the  trail  of  his  misdoin'  in 
the  eend,  and  fetched  through  to  the  Great  Clearin' 
as  a  mortal  should.  But  me  and  the  hound  knowed 
leetle  about  him,  and  jest  how  he  came  to  Thy  pres- 
ence w^e  couldn't  see,  but  it  sartinly  looked  hopeful. 
Here  me  and  the  hound  has  brought  his  corpse 
for  entarment  accordin'  to  orders,  and  the  trail  at 
this  p'int  is  dim,  but  we  mean  to  fetch  through  to 
the  eend  of  this  job  with  Thy  help.  So  jest  give  us 
a  lift  at  this  talkin',  that  the  corpse  may  have  a 
sarvice  as  is  becomin'.  Bless  us  in  our  endivors, 
and  let  Thy  peace,  which  is  one,  as  I  understand 
it,  with  Natur's,  come  on  this  grave  I  am  buildin'  and 
here  rest  ontil  the  Jedgment  Day.  Then  squar' 
accounts  with  the  man,  not  by  the  line  of  give 
and  take,  so  much  for  so  much,  but  by  the  line 
of  marcy  and  of  overlookin'  of  scant  skins  in  the 
man's  count ;  and  don't  forgit  to  reckon   easily  wdth 


THE  STORY  THAT  THE  KEG  TOLD  ME.  103 

me  and  the  hound,  for  we  be  rather  onsartin  con- 
sarnin'  the  bhizes  on  this  Ihie,  and  suspicion  we 
may  git  wrong  eend  to  afore  we  fetch  through. 
So  be  marcif ul  to  us  three ;  —  to  the  man  because 
of  what  he  did,  and  to  me  and  the  hound  for 
what  we  didn't  know  how  to  do.  Keep  all  varmints 
from  this  grave,  —  sech  as  cats  and  wolves,  —  espe- 
cially panthers :  onless  I  be  here  to  attend  to  'em, 
in  which  case  ye  may  let  'em  come  rampin'  round  as 
much  as  the  creturs  please,  and  I'll  agree  to  keep 
them  orderly.     Amen.' 

"  Well,  Henry,"  said  the  Old  Trapper,  after  a  pause, 
"  do  ye  think  1  did  the  honest  thing  by  the  man  ?  I 
did  the  best  I  could  accordin'  to  my  gifts,  and  I  sartinly 
trust  the  corpse  was  satisfied." 

I  could  see  that  the  Old  Trapper  was  troubled  in 
regard  to  the  matter  more  than  he  chose  to  confess, 
and  knowing  how  impossible  it  is  for  one  totally  un- 
accustomed to  forms  of  any  kind  to  fall  into  the 
grooves  of  formal  utterance,  I  could  fully  understand 
how  profound  must  have  been  his  embarrassment  in 
attempting  to  conduct  a  funeral  service  according  to 
the"  rules  and  methods  which  prevail  in  civilized,  not  to 
say  fashionable,  communities,  and  as  I  looked  into  the 
simple,  guileless  face  of  the  Old  Trapper,  which  showed 
doubt,  perplexity,  and  pain  in  its  every  wrinkle  and 
furrow,  I  felt  that  I  was  authorized  to  go  as  far 
as  I  could  truthfully  in  the  way  of  comfort ;  so  I 
said  : — 

"  I  think  you  did  excellently,  John  Norton ;  and  I 


104  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

doTibt  not  the  spirit  of  the  man  was  well  satisfied  with 
what  you  did  to  honor  his  body  at  its  burial,  and  I 
know  that  the  Lord  understood  your  circumstances  and 
gave  you  f idl  credit  for  the  beautiful  spirit  of  obedi- 
ence to  the  dead  man's  wishes  you  showed  in  foUowinof 
his  instruction." 

"  Well,  I  am  mighty  glad  ye  think  so,  Henry.  I 
have  felt  oneasy  on  the  matter  for  eleven  year,  for  I 
f eered  I  had  got  off  the  track  altogether  in  the  sarvice, 
for  I  had  a  dim  line  to  trail  by,  as  the  man's  talk 
wasn't  very  plain  to  me  to  start  with,  and  the  hound 
was  no  more  help  in  the  matter  than  an  unlarnt  pup  is 
to  a  hunter  on  a  dry  track.  Yis,  I  sartinly  feel  easier 
in  the  matter  arter  what  ye  have  said,  and  the  Lord 
knows  I  meant  only  good  to  the  man,  and  tried  to  be 
respectful  to  the  corpse. 

Well,  there  isn't  much  more  to  tell  ye.  Arter  the 
sarvic9  I  put  some  green  boughs  over  the  body,  so  that 
the  dirt  wouldn't  tech  it,  and  filled  it  up  easy-like  and 
as  gentle  as  I  could.  And  Avhen  the  fillin'  Avas  all  in 
I  went  and  cut  some  sods  with  my  huntin'  knife,  with 
the  flowers  all  growin'  in  'em,  and  made  the  grave  as 
green  and  pritty  as  natiir'  could  be,  and  than  I  took 
position  soldier-like  and  let  off  my  piece  as  a  kind  of 
farewell,  and  the  hound  lifted  up  his  voice  and  gave 
one  lament ;  and  the  sarvice  was  over." 

Here  the  old  man  paused ;  and  as  I  stirred  the  fire 
the  flame  leaped  up  and  showed  the  features  of  his 
time-beaten  face  in  clear  relief.  And  a  remarkable 
face  it  was,  and  such  as  is  seldom  given  to  man  save 


THE  8 TOBY  THAT  THE  KEG  TOLD  ME.  105 

when  nature  produces  her  noblest  work.  It  may 
interest  some  who  have  been  in  these  pages  introduced 
to  him,  and  who  will  meet  him  further  on  in  many 
scenes,  both  of  peace  and  war,  and  who  w^ill  grow  to 
love  him  for  the  purity  of  his  nature,  and  the  courage 
of  his  conduct  when  exposed  to  temptation  on  the  one 
hand  and  peril  and  death  on  the  other,  to  have  a  pen 
portrait  of  one  thus  connected  with  their  imagination 
and  their  memory. 

John  Norton  was,  even  in  his  seventieth  year,  over 
six  feet  in  height,  but  so  symmetrically  proportioned 
in  his  physical  stature  that,  great  as  it  was,  it  was 
neither  awkward  nor  ungainly.  Temperate  in  his 
habits,  and  constant  in  the  exercises  which  develop 
and  retain  muscular  poAver,  he  was  even  at  the  time 
of  our  story  a  marvel  of  physical  strength.  But 
for  the  fact  that  his  eye  may  have  lost  a  trifle 
of  its  earlier  brightness,  and  that  his  hair,  once  black 
as  a  raven's  wdng,  was  now  sprinkled  with  threads  of 
grey,  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  believe  he 
had  reached  the  period  of  three  score  years  and  ten, 
for  his  form  v>'as  still  erect,  his  step  elastic  and  his 
voice  clear  and  strong.  His  face  was  of  that  square, 
strong  shape,  such  as  you  see  in  a  few  of  the  older 
men  still  living  in  New  England,  but  wdio  are  fast 
passing  away,  and  with  them  we  fear  the  type  of 
self-reliant  and  indomitable  character  they  represent. 
His  eyebrows  were  large  and  abundant,  and  projected 
over  the  eyes.  The  eyes  themselves  were  grey  and 
chano'eful    in    color    according^   to    the  mood    of    the 


106  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

speaker.  His  nose  was  large,  and  straight  and  full 
at  the  nostrils  and  broad  at  the  base.  His  mouth  was 
ample  and  in  a  marked  manner  suggestive  of  power. 
His  chin  was  round  and  handsome.  Into  this  noble 
and  remarkable  countenance  time  had  channelled 
many  a  line,  and  the  years  had  spread  the  repose 
of  age  without  weakening  the  aspect  of  determined 
strength.  In  color  the  skin  was  of  course  bronzed, 
but  of  so  pure  a  tan  that  the  blood  showed  almost 
as  plainly  as  in  an  untanned  countenance.  And  as 
he  sat  at  the  close  of  his  narrative  gazing  into  the 
fire,  with  his  face  almost  solemn  in  the  gravity  of 
its  expression,  I  said  to  myself  as  I  gazed  steadily 
at  it,  revealed  in  its  every  line  and  wrinkle  as  it 
was  by  the  clear  blaze,  "  I  have  never  seen  so  noble 
and  remarkable  a  countenance  among  men."  I  grew 
to  love  it  in  subsequent  years  as  a  son  loves  the 
face  of  a  father  in  whom  is  no  guile. 

At  last  he  started  from  his  reverie  and  said, 
"  Henry,  the  morn  be  comin',  for  I  feel  the  changes 
in  the  air  that  tell  the  beginnin'  of  day.  Let  us 
heave  the  rest  of  the  loos  on  the  fire  and  stretch 
ourselves  for  a  nap,  for  natur'  has  her  rights  and 
must  be  dealt  reasonably  with.  We  will  sleep  now, 
and  by  and  by  I  will  show  you  the  man's  grave." 

I  did  as  he  requested,  and  then,  stretched  at  full 
length  on  either  side  of  the  fire,  we  fell  asleep. 

The  sun  was  hiofli  in  the  heaven  before  I  awoke. 
I  rubbed  my  eyes  to  make  sure  of  my  sight  as  I 
started    up,    for    breakfast    was    ready,    and    the   Old 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD  ME.  107 

Trapper  sat  on  the  log  patiently  waiting  my  awaking. 
The  old  man  divined  my  thought,  for  he  said  :  "  Nay, 
nay,  Henry,  ye  need  not  feel  hurt  because  I  got 
the  start  of  ye  ;  for  sleep  to  the  young  be  sweet, 
and  I  could  not  Avake  ye  'til  natur'  was  satisfied. 
But  the  eyelids  of  the  old  rest  lightly  on  their  balls, 
and  the  rays  of  the  sun  wakes  me  quicker  nor  a 
bugler's  note  rouses  a  sojer.  So  me  and  the  hound 
have  been  stirrin'  about,  and  between  your  pack 
and  mine  w^e  have  got  a  meal  fit  for  a  king.  So 
jest  take  a  dip  in  the  lake  off  that  rock  there,  and 
we  wdll  try  the  vartue  of  the  victals." 

After  breakfast  Avas  over,  the  Old  Trapper  said, 
"  Come,  Henry,  w^e  wall  go  to  the  grave,  and  I  will 
show  ye  wdiere  the  body  of  an  unhappy  man  lies 
buried.  I  warrant  the  hound  remembers  the  spot 
as  w^ell  as  I  do." 

A  few  minutes  brought  us  to  the  point,  wdiere 
we  landed.  The  hound  being  in  the  bow  of  the 
boat,  had  touched  the  shore  first,  and  mounted  the 
bank.  No  sooner  had  he  reached  the  top  than  he 
lifted  his  nose  into  the  air,  turned  around  once  in  his 
tracks  as  a  hound  wdll  when  searching  for  knowledge, 
then  started  in  a  straight  line  for  the  bluff. 

"  Ay,  ay,  I  know^ed  the  dog  w^ould  recollect  the 
spot,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  and  there  he  goes  on  a 
trail  that's  been  wdiitened  by  the  snows  of  eleven 
winters  as  ef  he  was  arter  a  buck  jest  started  from 
his  nest  in  the  moss.  It's  sartinly  wonderful  wdiat 
sense    the    Lord  has  ghi  to  his   creturs,  sech  as  the 


108  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

beaver  and  the  dog-.  Even  a  wolf  in  the  darkest 
niofht  can  tell  the  toe  from  the  heel  of  a  track, 
and  I  have  seed  the  wild  horses  on  the  prairies  act 
as  sarcumspect  as  ef  they  was  reasonin'  mortals." 

At  this  point  the  long  solemn  cry  of  the  hound 
rose  into  the  air  and  rolled  in  mournful  cadence 
over  the  lake.  The  Old  Trapper  halted  a  moment, 
and  then  as  he  turned  toward  me,  he  said :  — 

"  Ye  see,  Henry,  the  heart  of  the  dog-  be  true  to 
his  memory  of  the  spot.  I  have  heerd  many  a  dog 
give  vent  to  his  grief  over  the  grave  of  his  master, 
long  years  arter  it  was  made,  and  it  should  larn  us 
mortals  to  be  true  to  what  we  have  promised  the  dead, 
and  keep  their  graves  green  and  sweet  arter  they  be 
gone.  Henry,  I  feel  a  leetle  oneasy  lest  somethin'  of 
ill  has  happened  to  the  corpse  on  the  bluff.  Come,  let 
us  go  and  see." 

So  saying,  he  started  for  the  knoll,  and  I  followed 
on.  We  soon  reached  the  upper  edge,  and  the  grave, 
with  the  hound  sitting  on  his  haunches  at  the  foot  of 
it,  was  before  us.  The  Old  Trapper's  face  brightened 
as  he  saw  it  had  not  been  disturbed,  for,  except  that 
the  mound  had  shrunken  somewhat,  and  the  green 
growths  of  nature  were  more  luxuriant,  it  was  evi- 
dently the  same  as  when  it  had  been  fashioned  eleven 
years  before. 

The  Old  Trapper  paused  as  he  reached  the  head  of 
the  mound,  and  leaning  on  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle, 
said,  '^  Henry,  the  Lord  has  sartinly  been  marciful, 
and  kept  the  grave  ondistarbed,  and  natur'  has  made 


THE  STOBY  THAT  THE  KEG   TOLD   ME.  109 

it  handsomer  than  it  was  when  me  and  the  hound  left 
it  ;  and  a  sightly  spot  it  is,  and  a  cheerful  one  for  a 
grave  to  he  in,  for  the  view  up  the  lake  he  a  good 
one,  as  ye  see,  Henry,  and  the  pines  overhead  keep 
up  a  pleasant  sort  of  a  darge.  Yis,  it  sartinly  is  a 
cheerful  spot  for  a  grave,  and  ef  me  and  the  hound 
could  make  it  seem  reasonable  to  us  we  would  sartinly 
pick  some  sech  spot  as  this  to  lie  in  arter  w^e  be  dead  ; 
but  it  don't  squar'  wnth  our  notions  of  right  and 
wrong,  and  we  can't  make  it  nohow,  though  we  have 
held  many  a  council  over  it.  Still  a  grave  makes 
solemn  and  instructive  company  for  a  mortal,  espe- 
cially for  one  as  old  as  me  and  the  hound ;  and  it  may 
be  a  leetle  overhaulin'  the  pack,  and  goin'  over  the 
count  of  the  years  Ave  have  lived  sence  w^e  left  this 
grave,  w^ouldn't  do  either  of  us  any  hurt ;  and  as  it  is 
a  matter  that  the  youno-  and  them  that  has  lono^  life 
ahead  of  'em  ain't  much  interested  in,  perhaps  it 
may  be  as  w^ell  that  ye  go  back  to  the  camp  and  pack 
things  up  for  a  start,  Henry,  for  we  will  take  to  the 
boats  when  me  and  the  hound  has  done  with  our  med- 
itations." 

Appreciating  the  wish  of  the  Old  Trapper  to  be  for 
a  brief  time  alone,  I  retired  down  the  knoll,  and 
entering  the  boat  was  soon  at  the  camp.  As  I 
stepped  ashore,  I  cast  my  eyes  across  the  bay  to  the 
bluff,  and  then  I  uncovered  my  head.  The  Old  Trap- 
per, w4th  the  hound  looking  steadily  into  his  upturned 
face,  was  kneeling  at  the  head  of  the  grave,  engaged 
in  prayer. 


THE  STORY  OF 

THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH. 

Part  I. 


THE   MAN   WHO   DIDN'T   KNOW   MUCH. 


CHAPTER   I. 


THE    BEAVER  S    LODGE. 


"  For  men  like  these  on  earth  he  shall  not  find 
In  all  the  miscreant  race  of  human  kind." 

—  Homer,  Pope's  translation. 

It  was  early  autumn^  and  the  avoocIs  were  just 
beo'inninof  to  take  to  themselves  the  varieo^ated  colors 
which  make  our  northern  forests  a  wonder  to  foreign* 
ers  and  an  annual  delight  to  those  who  live  within 
sight  of  their  glorious  changes,  when  two  men  might 
have  been  seen  forcing  their  way  through  the  under- 
brush of  a  tamarack  swamp,  which  divided  two  small 
lakes  near  the  centre  of  the  wilderness.  On  the 
shoulders  and  head  of  one  was  balanced  a  birch 
canoe,  larger  than  the  average  make,  while  the  other 
was  literally  loaded  down  beneath  a  monstrous  pack- 
basket,  which  was  not  only  full  of  camp  and  trapping 
materials,  but  had  tied  to  it  a  dozen  and  one  articles 
of  culinary  and  camp  use.  In  a  few  moments  the 
man  under  the  canoe  came  to  a  halt,  and  laying  it 
gently  on  the  ground,  he  turned  to  his  companion  and 
said  :  — 


112  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

"  Come,  Henry,  let  us  halt  a  miiiit  and  git  breath. 
This  is  sartinly  a  tough  carry,  and  ye  be  loaded  like  a 
sinner  at  the  Day  of  Jedgment,  when,  as  I  have  heerd 
the  missioners  say,  mortals  will  be  summoned  into 
court  with  all  their  divilments  on  top  of  'em.  And 
while  ye  have  nothin'  that  an  honest  man  need  be 
ashamed  of,  even  in  front  of  the  Lord,  yit  I  will  say 
that  ye  be  mightily  heavily  cumbered  with  the  fixin's, 
for  sartin,  and  yer  legs  must  feel  in  a  rebellious  state 
agin  sech  treatment  as  ye've  been  givin'  'em  for  the 
last  mile  ;  for  ef  there's  anything  that  will  set  the  sin- 
ers  in  a  man's  thighs  twitchin'  and  sort  of  knottin'- 
up  like,  its  fetchin'  a  carry  tlirough  a  tamarack  swamp 
like  this,  with  a  whole  camp  on  his  back,  and  no 
bottom  wutli  speakin'  on  under  ye.  That's  right,  — 
settle  down  there  on  that  bog  and  squirm  out  of  the 
straps  and  ease  yerself  awhile.  I'll  bet  that  the  wales 
on  yer  shoulders  be  red  as  a  rat's  hide  when  the  meat 
has  peeled  with  it ;  and  as  for  yer  neck,  the  infarnal 
basket,  Henry,  has  rasped  it  like  a  file.  How  do  ye 
feel  inwardly,  for  I  know  ye  smart  outwardly?" 

^'  0,  I  feel  all  right,"  replied  his  companion.  "  Of 
course  the  straps  have  cut  into  me  a  little,  and  the 
basket  has  worn  through  the  cuticle  somewhat,  I 
guess,  by  the  feeling  on  my  neck  ;  but  I  am  good  for 
the  distance  between  here  and  the  lake,  wherever  it  is ; 
and  when  we  get  through,  if  it  is  a  decent  place  to 
look  at,  we  will  take  a  rest  and  a  good  strong  meal 
too,  for  I  am  as  empty  as  a  last  year's  gourd." 

**'  I  like  the  sound  of  yer  talk,  Henry,"  said  the  old 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  113 

man,  whom  our  readers  will  have  easily  recognized  as 
John  Norton,  the  Trapper,  and  his  companion  as 
Henry  Herbert.  "  I  like  the  sound  of  yer  talk,"  con- 
tinued the  old  man,  laughing ;  '^  and  I  can  well 
believe  ye ;  for  ye  have  the  look  of  a  man  whose 
loadin'  is  all  on  the  outside  and  none  of  it  in,  and  I 
should  ventur'  the  opinion  that  a  pound  or  two  of  that 
steak  ye  have  in  the  basket  there,  jediciously  spitted 
and  eaten  slowly,  'twixt  proper  allowances  of  corn 
cakes  and  spring  water,  reinforced  with  a  few  leaves 
of  the  tea,  would  round  ye  out  and  make  ye  look 
sort  of  inhabited-like ;  for  I  have  always  noted  that  a 
man  with  no  victuals  in  him  looks  like  a  desarted  settle- 
ment, —  kinder  lonesome,  and  a  good  deal  as  ef  a 
funeral  was  o;oin'  on  inside  of  him.  But  another 
ofood  lift  will  brino'  us  out  of  this  snarl  of  tamarack 
and  put  our  feet  onto  the  beach  of  as  handsome  a 
lake  as  the  Lord  ever  made,  even  here  in  these  woods, 
where  He  does  seem  to  have  did  His  best,  and  kept  at 
it  a  long  while,  too  ;  for  I  think,  'twixt  trappin'  and 
boatin',  I've  been  on  a  thousand  of  'em  off  and  on  in 
the  last  forty  year  ;  but  a  prittier  one  than  lies  ahead 
of  us  never  had  its  springs  set  runnin',  ef  I  am  any 
jedge.  So  crawl  into  yer  straps,  Henry,  and  I  will 
give  yer  pack  a  h'ist,  and  we  will  see  how  soon  we  can 
fetch  out  of  this  divilment  of  bushes  ;  for  a  tamarack 
swamp  is  the  divil's  own  work  in  natur'  for  sartin  ; 
and  ef  a  man  who  be  nothin'  but  ordinary,  and  hasn't 
been  favored  in  pious  edication,  can  bring  a  boat  or  a 
pack  through  one  of  'em  and  not  get  sort  of  strong 


114  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

and  'arnest-like  in  his  speech,  it  is  because  the  Lord  is 
onusually  marciful  to  him  while  he  is  at  it." 

So  saying,  the  Old  Trapper  lifted  the  canoe  on  to 
his  shoulders,  and  pushed  determinedly  on  through 
the  dense  thicket,  whose  dried,  thorny  branches 
scraped  and  rattled  against  the  bottom  and  sides  of 
the  canoe,  until  the  noise  might  have  been  heard  miles 
away. 

At  last,  after  twenty  minutes  or  so  of  desperate 
struggling,  in  which  the  strength  and  temper  of  both 
must  have  been  severely  taxed,  the  Old  Trapper 
burst  out  of  the  opposing  brush,  and  cast  the  canoe 
upon  the  yellow  sands  of  a  beach  which  curved  its 
line  of  gold  around  the  northern  shore  of  a  lake. 
In  an  instant,  Herbert  tore  his  way  out  of  the 
swamp,  and  without  saying  a  word,  settled,  with  the 
pack  still  on  his  back,  into  the  soft  sand.  His 
pantaloons  were  seriously  torn,  his  hair  was  full  of 
moss  dust  and  bits  of  dried  twigs,  while  his  face  was 
fairly  white  with  weariness. 

"  Well,  Henry,''  said  the  Old  Trapper,  as  he  looked 
at  him,  after  having  unbuckled  the  straps  which 
bound  the  pack  to  his  companion's  shoulders,  "ye 
look  as  ef  ye  had  been  in  a  tussle  that  taxed  ye, 
and  yer  breeches  seem  as  ef  they  had  got  the  wust 
of  it  for  sartin.  I  have  never  liked  the  tailorin' 
of  the  settlements,  for  I  have  never  seed  any  of  their 
work  that  would  hold  when  a  man  was  in  the  centre 
of  a  tamarack  thicket,  or  a  windfall,  and  got  sort  of 
'arnest-like    in    his    feelin's.     Summer  afore  the    last, 


THE  MAy  WHO  DIDX'T  KNOW  MUCH.  115 

a  man  from  the  coast,  that  I  run  agin  in  a  mighty 
weak  condition,  and  sort  of  nussed  back  to  life,  sent 
me  a  box  of  stuff,  and  it  had  for  sartin  a  great 
many  useful  things  in  it,  sech  as  traps,  powder  and 
lead,  not  to  speak  of  tea  and  other  yarbs  for  medi- 
cine. Yis,  he  sartinly  put  in  a  good  many  things 
accordin'  to  reason,  and  useful  to  a  man  of  my 
gifts ;  but  he  missed  the  trail  entirely  in  one  thing, 
for  he  sent  me,  all  done  up  as  pritty  as  could  be, 
and  tied  with  red  string,  a  whole  suit  of  garments 
that  he  called  black  cloth,  or  wide  cloth,  or  some 
sech  name,  not  to  speak  of  a  hat  like  the  chapeau 
the  militia  wore  fifty  year  agone,  and  which  I  could 
no  more  keep  on  my  head  in  this  bush  than  a 
beaver  could  keep  his  fur  in  spring-time.  But  I 
felt  sartin  the  man  meant  it  for  good ;  and  to  sorter 
please  his  mem'ry  and  show  proper  feelin'  in  the 
matter,  I  sot  apart  a  day  to  celebrate  the  man's 
good-heartedness ;  and  I  got  into  the  things,  hat 
and  all,  and  ef  ye  b'lieve  me,  Henry,  when  I  looked 
in  the  glass  I  didn't  know  myself.  And  I  said, 
'  John  Norton,  be  this  you  ? '  And  I  marvelled, 
Henry,  that  a  mortal  could  so  change  himself  by 
a  few  clothes  that  he  should  be  strano^e  in  his  own 
eyes.  But  the  thing  that  ssemed  queerest  of  all 
was  that  the  hound  there,  that  ye  know  be  a  knowin' 
dog,  and  a  obsarvin'  one,  too,  who  had  been  foolin' 
around  with  a  young  faan  in  the  thickets  for  exercise, 
come  in,  and  seein'  me  settin'  in  a  cheer,  hat  and 
all   on,  whirled  his  tail    round    and  let  a   threatenin' 


,116  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

roar  out  o£  his  mouth  that  made  the  cabin  ring, 
and  he  showed  his  teeth  in  a  way  to  make  the 
flesh  of  a  cowardly  half-breed  creep.  Yis,  Henry, 
to  think  that  a  few  city  garments  could  change  a 
man  so  that  even  his  own  hound  wouldn't  know  him 
ontil  he  heerd  his  voice,  and  act'ally  got  his  scent 
in  his  nose.  I  have  spent  a  good  many  hours 
wonderin'  about  it,  I  tell  ye.  Well,  Henry,  I  never 
tried  on  the  coat  and  hat  and  vest  agin,  ye  may 
believe,  for  they  was  useless  to  one  of  my  gifts,  and 
made  the  hound  onhappy ;  but  I  did  think  the 
breeches  would  sarve  me  awhile,  for  they  was  roomy 
and  looked  as  fine  and  tough  as  a  doeskin ;  and 
so  I  detarmined  to  give  'em  a  try.  I  put  'em  on 
one  mornin'  when  startin'  on  a  still  hunt,  and  by 
the  Lord,  Henry,  when  I  got  back  at  night  there 
wasn't  any  breeches  on  me,  leastwise  notliin'  to 
make  a  fair  show  on  a  man  in.  the  settlements.  It 
was  amazin'  how  they  went  to  pieces.  The  briers 
went  through  'em  as  ef  they  was  paper.  I  left 
them  all  along  the  line  of  my  trail  as  a  bear  leaves 
his  fur  in  the  beo-innin'  of  summer.  And  it  larned 
me  a  lesson  techin'  the  tailorin'  of  the  settlements 
which  I  shall  never  forgit.  And  ever  sence  we  started 
on  the  trip  I  have  felt  onsartin  about  yer  garments, 
and  though  they  have  held  on  agin  all  expectation, 
yit,  sooner  or  later,  I  knowed  they  would  play  a 
prank  on  ye  and  gin  out  sudden-like.  And  ef  ye 
will  take  my  advice  ye  will  let  me  make  ye  a  good 
pair  of  buckskin  I've  tanned  with  my  own  hands,  and 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  \Vj 

I  warrant  you  will  never  get  a  brier  through  them  or 
feel  oneasy  about  your  appearance  in  company." 

While  the  old  man  had  been  talking,  Herbert 
had  remained  stretched  at  length  upon  the  sand 
with  his  head  bolstered  against  the  pack-basket, 
recovering  his  breath  and  gazing  with  eyes  which 
drank  in  the  loveliness  of  the  scene  around  him. 
It  is  doubtful  if  he  had  even  heard  half  the  Old 
Trapper  had  been  saying,  so  absorbed  was  he  in  con- 
templation of  what  would  seem,  to  one  unaccustomed 
to  such  scenes,  more  like  a  picture  from  Fairy  Land 
than  an  actual  landscape  of  the  earth.  The  lake 
was  perhaps  a  short  mile  in  length,  and  bordered 
with  hioh  hills  both  on  the  eastern  and  western 
shores.  The  whole  northern  end  was  in  the  form 
of  a  sickle,  and  ornamented  with  a  beach  of  sand  of 
brightest  yellow.  The  southern  and  eastern  shores 
were  bordered  with  a  marsh  whose  deep  green  grass, 
brightened  here  and  there  with  various  colored  flowers, 
stretched  far  out  into  the  shallow  waters  of  the  lake. 
The  shores  were  thickly  wooded  with  evergreens, 
while  here  and  there  a  maple,  far  up  the  hillside, 
flung  out  its  flame  of  color,  as  a  roj^al  banner,  planted 
in  some  ivied  recess  of  an  ancient  castle,  mio^it  wave 
its  rich  blazonry  forth  to  the  passing  breeze.  At 
last,  as  if  his  soul  had  drunk  its  fill  of  the  sur- 
rounding b3auty,  Herbert  rose  to  his  feet,  and  still 
gazing  off  upon  the  water,  said :  "  Old  man,  this  is 
lovely ;  by  what  name  is  this  lake  called,  or  has  it 
no  name?  I  have  never  seen  a  sweeter  sheet  of 
water." 


118  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

"  I  am  glad  ye  think  so,  Henry/'  rejoined  the  Trap- 
23er  ;  "  for  I  have  always  conceited  it  was  about  the 
best  the  Lord  could  do  in  this  line,  and  many  be  the 
days  and  nights  I  have  spent  on  its  quiet  shores,  for  I 
have  knowed  it  off  and  on  for  fifty  year  ;  and  the  fust 
time  I  ever  sot  eyes  on  it  was  under  sarcumstances 
calculated  to  make  a  man  remember  it,  I  tell  ye ;  for  I 
was  hard  pressed  by  a  pack  of  redskins,  and  I  and  a 
comrade  held  our  own  aoin  'em  here  for  two  davs  and 
two  nights,  and  we  put  our  marks  onto  the  biggest 
part  of  'em  in  a  way  the  Lord  will  remember  in  the 
Jedgment,  for  they  did  awful  murder  here ;  and  I 
sunk  in  the  water  there,  off  that  p'int,  as  handsome  a 
body  as  the  Lord  of  Life  ever  made,  ef  her  skin  was 
red  and  her  father  the  chief  of  the  thievin'  Hurons. 
And  as  for  the  name,  it  is  a  name  wliich  the  Indians 
give  to  it,  arter  what  happened  here  in  the  scrimmage 
I  have  told  ye  of  ;  for  they  say,  and  there  be  white 
men  who  swear  to  the  same,  that  in  the  month  of 
July,  on  the  25th  day,  jest  afore  dawn,  a  white  figger 
can  be  seen  comin'  up  out  of  the  water,  and  that  it 
w^alks  over  to  this  beach  and  then  across  to  where  yon 
stream  comes  in,  through  the  alders  there,  and  then 
floats  back  abreast  the  p'int  and  sinks  out  of  sight ; 
and  they  call  it  the  '  Lake  of  the  Lovely  Spirit/ 
And  I  can  well  believe  the  sperit  is  lovely,  for  she  was 
lovely  in  life  ;  and  I  don't  see  why  dyin'  should  mar 
the  beauty  of  the  Lord's  creturs.  Yis,  it  sartinly  is  a 
handsome  lake,  and  its  shores  are  thick  with  mem'ries 
to  me.     And  right  on  this  very  beach,  ay,  jest  here 


THE  MAX  WHO  DWy'T  K^^OW  MUCH  119 

where  we  stand,  I  had  a  tussle  with  half  a  dozen  red- 
skins Avhich  came  near  bein'  my  last,  and  a  life  was 
ofiven  for  mine,  and  another  met  the  death  that  was 
meant  for  me,  here.  But  I  squared  accounts  with  the 
last  of  the  scamps  thirty  year  agone,  and  that's  sar- 
tinly  consolin'  to  one  who'  remembers,  as  I  do,  the 
cruelty  of  the  divils,  and  how  they  did  murder  with- 
out cause  and  ao-in  reason." 

"  Well,"  Herbert  responded,  ""  the  lake  is  certainly 
beautiful,  and  appropriately  named,  too,  if  what  men 
say  occurs  here,  and  I  will  make  you  tell  me  the 
history  of  your  fight  on  this  lake  fifty  years  ago 
some  day,  and  all  about  the  death  of  the  beautiful 
Indian  girl,  if  the  memory  is  not  unpleasant  for  you 
to  recall.  But  now  I  am  hungry  and  feel  as  if  the 
sooner  we  get  a  fire  started  and  some  meat  cooking 
the  better  it  Avill  be  for  my  feelings." 

"  Sartinly,  sartinly,"  rejoined  the  Trapper  promptly, 
"  but  not  here,  lad,  but  toss  yer  pack  into  the  canoe 
and  I  will  paddle  you  over  to  where  yon  stream  comes 
in  through  the  balsam  grove,  and  you  will  find  a 
camp  all  ready  for  us  onless  the  snows  has  broken 
down  the  lodge  poles,  or  some  onlarnt  city  man  has 
stolen  the  bark  off  the  roof  for  kindlin's." 

In  a  few  moments  the  two  were  in  the  canoe  which 
the  Old  Trapper  was  urging  with  an  easy  stroke 
across  the  glassy  surface  of  the  unruffled  water,  and 
shortly  the  canoe  was  run  ashore  in  th3  green  grass  at 
tlie  mouth  of  the  little  rivulet  which  with  a  faint 
musical  gargle  flowed  through  the  balsam  grove  under 
the  alders  into  the  lake. 


120  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

"  There,  Henry/'  exclaimed  the  old  man,  as  he 
stepped  ashore  and  cast  his  gaze  around  him,  "  This 
looks  home-like  for  sartin.  Many  be  the  days  and 
many  be  the  nights  I  have  lodged  here,  both  in  winter 
and  summer,  and  I  have  never  seed  the  time  when  the 
mouth  of  this  little  brook  didn't  give  me  fish,  or  the 
shores  of  this  lake  didn't  keep  me  in  venison.  And 
as  for  ducks,  and  geese,  and  wild  fowl  in  their  season, 
Lord-a-massy,  Henry,  the  water  us3d  to  be  black  with 
'em ;  and  I  have  taken  the  head  of  many  a  duck  off 
with  my  bullets,  sittin'  right  here  in  the  door  of  the 
lodge  ;  and  ef  ye  noted  the  ledge  back  of  here  as  I 
paddled  in,  ye  saw  the  home  of  more  panthers  than 
any  other  spot  in  the  wilderness.  Many  a  night  have 
I  laid  here  in  the  lodo-e  and  lieerd  their  cries  and 
screams  as  they  scrimmaged  with  each  other,  or  held 
their  ugly  feasting  over  the  body  of  a  buck.  Yis," 
continued  the  Old  Trapper,  as  he  lighted  a  match  and 
applied  it  to  a  bunch  of  dried  twigs  he  had  piled  in 
the  fire-place,  "  I  have  kindled  my  fires  here  by  flint 
and  steel  instead  of  lucifer  matches,  and  started  a 
blaze  under  different  sarcumstances  than  we  be  in  to- 
day. Come,  Henry,  do  ye  fetch  some  water  from  the 
brook  and  I  warrant  ye  will  find  it  cold  as  the  iced 
drinks  of  the  settlements,  and  we  will  have  the  pot 
bilin'  and  the  steak  cookin'  in  no  time." 

Both  men  now  applied  themselves  to  their  respec- 
tive tasks,  and  in  a  brief  space  of  time  they  were  sitting 
cross-legged  on  the  ground,  with  a  bark  between  them 
covered  with  food  smoking  hot.     Without  delay  Her- 


THE  MAX  WHO  DID  XT  KXOW  MUCH.  121 

bert  addressed  himself  to  the  eating  with  the  quick, 
earnest  motions  o£  hand  and  teeth  of  a  man  who  is 
desperately  hungry  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  perfect 
health. 

The  Old  Trapper  sat  looking  at  his  young  compan- 
ion a  moment  with  a  look  of  broad  but  benevolent 
humor  on  his  wrinkled  features,  and  then  picking  up  a 
corn  cake  he  placed  a  bit  of  the  brown  luxury  leis- 
urely in  his  mouth  and  said  :  — 

"  It  does  my  old  jaws  good,  Henry,  to  see  ye  so 
familiar  and  off-hand-like  with  the  vict'als.  A  parson 
I  or"uided  last  summer  used  to  think  it  onoTateful  not 
to  say  grace  afore  he  teched  a  morsel,  and  he  lived  up 
to  his  idees  of  right  and  Avrong,  for  sartin,  for  he 
never  failed  to  say  grace  over  his  plate  before  he 
tasted  it ;  but  he  had  a  powerful  strong  hold  on  lan- 
guage, and  I  used  to  conceit  many  a  time  that  he 
overdid  the  thing  a  leetle.  Ye  see,  Henry,"  said  the 
Old  Trapper  in  a  confidential  tone,  as  if  half-talking 
to  himself,  "  the  man  was  chock  full  of  words,  and 
gave  tongue  like  a  young  hound  on  his  fust  track, 
and  he  sort  of  spilled  over  because  he  was  so  full  of 
'em.  The  least  chance  to  sav  somethino:  relis^ious 
joggled  him,  and  I  do  think  I  have  heerd  the  man  say 
his  prayers  so  long  over  his  plate  that  his  vict'als 
act' ally  cooled  afore  he  got  to  'em,  and  that's  what  I 
call  darned  foolishness,  put  it  any  way  ye  mind  to. 

Now,  Henry,  I  never  cook  a  steak  or  bile  a  tater 
or  brown  a  flapjack  that  I  don't  sort  of  have  a 
pleasant  feelin'  in'ardly  to  the  Lord   for    His  marcy 


122  ADIBOXDACK   TALES. 

to  me;  and  sartin,  I  never  sot  my  teeth  into  the 
crumpy  edge  of  a  brown  corn-cake  like  this  and 
didn't  feel  how  pleasant  and  cheerful  a  thing  it  is  to 
live ;  for  a  cake  like  this  is  toothsome  eatin',  and  ef 
the  meal  isn't  too  fine,  there  be  chunks  of  the  karnals 
lyin'  around  in  it  that  tha  teath  git  into,  and  the 
tongue  intarprets  the  real  vartue  of  the  corn  in  a 
way  that  sartinly  ought  to  make  a  man  grateful  for 
the  faculties  the  Lord  has  gin  him  and  the  sweet 
o-rowths  of  natur'. 

But  as  for  a  man  stoppin'  to  ontangle  a  string  of 
pious  words  when  his  stomack  is  empty,  and  he  feels 
like  a  cellar  with  no  house  over  it,  and  the  steam  of 
the  hot  vict'als  be  strong  in  his  nostrils,  why,  Henry, 
I  must  say  that  it  seems  to  me  to  be  agin'  natur' 
and  reason.  My  idee  is  that  the  Lord  knows  all 
about  our  feelin's  and  can  see  the  grace  of  the  man's 
heart  goin'  up  as  the  vict'als  go  down,  and  that  He 
loves  to  see  us  dip  in  hearty-like,  and  as  ef  we 
enjoyed  the  smoli  and  taste  of  the  things  He  has 
made  to  grow  for  us  ;  and  ef  words  must  be  said, 
I  conceit  that  they  should  be  said  arter  the  man  is 
full,  and  is  ready  to  sit  back  and  feel  religious-like  ; 
but  as  to  ^vastin'  time  in  layin'  hold  of  the  Lord's 
marcies  when  they  be  all  smokin'  hot  and  afore  ye, 
and  the  wind  is  coolin'  'em,  I  don't  conceit  that  the 
Lord  expects  any  sach  foolishness  from  men  of  sense 
and  jedgment." 

So  the  two  men  sat  eating  and  talking  in  the  wise, 
humorous  fashion  of  American  backwoodsmen,   until 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  123 

they  had  satisfied  the  demands  of  nature.  They 
then  washed  the  dishes,  and  having  repacked  the 
basket  restored  it  to  the  canoe,  and  stood  one  at 
either  end  of  it  ready  to  Lxunch  it  forth  on  the 
level  water  and  resume  their  journey.  This  they 
did  in  a  moment,  and  were  soon  on  the  bosom  of  the 
lake,  whose  unruffled  surface  reflected  like  a  perfect 
mirror  the  blue  sky  and  white  clouds  above,  and 
the  autumnal  glories  of  the  hills  on  either  side. 

"I  tell  ye  for  sartin,  Henry,"  said  the  Old  Trapper, 
as  he  lifted  his  paddle  from  the  bottom  of  the  canoe, 
and  passed  it  with  the  easy  motion  of  long  habit 
into  the  water,  "  I  tell  ye,  for  sartin,  Henry,  that  we 
shall  have  some  fun  afore  Ave  git  through  this  trip  ; 
I  feel  the  comin'  of  it  in  my  bones  as  a  hound  gits 
the  fust  stray  whifPs  of  the  true  scent  in  his  nose, 
and  opens  on  it  musical-like.  I'm  mighty  glad  ye 
be  with  me  and  can  stay  in  this  year  till  the  snow 
drives  ye  out,  and  later,  too,  ef  ye  have  a  mind,  for 
I  must  confess  that  I  take  to  ye  mightily,  and  the 
trail  will  be  lonely  and  the  old  lodge  empty-like, 
when  ye  be  gone.  Now,  I  have  a  idee  that  we  had 
best  swing  across  to  the  Saranacs,  and  see  what's 
goin'  on  there,  for  ye  remember  we  heerd  'em 
talkin'  in  the  camp  we  ambushed  on  the  Cranberry 
waters,  of  a  boat-race  that  the  city  folks  was  p'ittin' 
up  on  the  Saranacs.  Ye  see,  Henry,  ye  pull  a 
mighty  clean  stroke  and  a  strong  one  too  ;  and 
though  I  have  held  the  paddle  back  of  a  good  many 
men  who  was    handy  with   the    ash^   I  never   felt  a 


124  ADIBOXDACK   TALES. 

boat  g-it  away  from  under  me  as  fast  as  ye  make  it 
when  ye  fairly  sot  yer  strength  onto  the  blades,  and 
I  would  give  the  best  furred  beaver's  hide  I  shall 
trap  this  Avinter  to  see  ye  cut  out  a  stroke  for  two  miles 
and  return,  with  those  cocky  Saranac  chaps  ;  for  they 
think  they  can  outshoot  and  outrow  all  creation,  and 
it  would  be  doin'  the  Lord's  sarvice  to  take  a  leetle 
of  their  foolishness  out  of  'em,  as  I  feel  ye  can  do ; 
and  ef  they  would  only  let  me  in,  too,  I  tell  ye, 
Henry,  twixt  ye  at  the  oars,  and  me  at  the  paddle, 
we'd  eenamost  drive  the  bottom-board  out  of  the 
boat,  and  show  'em  what  an  old  man  and  a  young 
one  used  to  the  woods,  when  they  jine  works,  can 
do,"  and  the  Old  Trapper  gave  a  flourish  with  his 
paddle,  and  passed  it  into  the  water  with  an  energy 
that  fairly  lifted  the  canoe  half  off  the  water. 

"  Well,"  rejoined  Herbert,  '•'  I  like  your  plan,  and 
we  will  push  through  as  you  say,  for  one  spot  is  as 
good  as  another  to  me,  and  I  would  like  to  see  the 
races  and  take  a  hand  in  them,  too,  if  you  wished ; 
but  I  would  like  to  see  a  beaver  lodo;e  before  we  o^o 
out,  and  you  know  you  said  I  could  see  one  almost 
any  day." 

"  Sartin,  sartin,  I  did,"  returned  the  Trapper,  "  and 
ye  shall  see  one  inside  of  thirty  minits  if  the  vaga- 
bonds have  done  their  summer  w^anderin'  and  got 
back  to  their  homes  ;  for  there's  a  leetle  pond  here, 
away  to  the  right  of  the  carry,  'twixt  this  and  Mud 
Lake,  from  which  I  have  taken  many  a  hide,  and  I 
never  skeerd  one  of  'em  by  careless  trappin',  and  so 


THE  MAX  WHO  DWX'T  KXOW  3IUCH.  125 

they  keep  comiii'  back  every  year,  as  they  will  e£  ye 
don't  distarb  'em  by  any  foolishness,  and  I  warrant 
a  dozen  of  the  brown-backed  rogues  be  playin'  in 
the  water  this  very  minit.  Ay,  here  we  be  at  the 
carry,  and  w^e  will  leave  the  canoe,  and  see  ef  we 
can  ambush  the  pond." 

A  swift  walk  of  twenty  minutes  brought  the  Trap- 
per and  his  companion  to  a  point  where  the  old  man 
paused,  and  turning  to  his  comrade,  he  said  in  a  whis- 
per :  — 

"  There,  Henry,  jest  over  that  pine  knoll  is  a  bit  of 
mash  with  a  pond  in  the  centre  of  it,  and  the  grass 
grows  tall,  but  there's  not  a  bush  on  the  whole  lot, 
and  we  must  crawl  for  it ;  and  ef  there's  any  way  ye 
can  make  yerself  flatter  than  another,  I  sartinly 
advise  ye  to  try  it.  Ef  ye  break  a  stick  as  big  as  the 
stem  of  yer  pipe,  Henry,  ye  will  see  no  beaver 
to-day,  for  they  be  mighty  timerous  animils,  and  their 
ears  and  eyes  be  as  open  as  a  Huron's  in  the  midst  of 
an  ambushment.  So  be  keerful,  lad,  and  ef  yer  gifts 
be  as  good  at  crawdin'  as  they  be  at  shootin',  ye  shall 
be  lookin'  into  the  eyes  of  a  beaver  within  forty  feet 
of  ye  inside  of  ten  minits.  Now  dowai  to  the  'arth, 
Henry,  for  we  sartinly  have  got  to  snake  it." 

So  saying  the  Old  Trapper  sank  to  the  earth,  and 
being  followed  in  the  action  by  his  companion,  the 
two  began  to  work  their  way  noiselessly  over  the  knoll 
and  into  the  tall  grass  of  the  meadow. 

It  would  have  been  an  interesting  spectacle  to  one 
unaccustomed    to    exhibitions    of    woodcraft    to    have 


126  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

stood  on  that  knoll  and  seen  with  what  patience  and 
skill  the  two  men  worked  their  way  onward  through 
the  tall  grass  toward  the  pond.  Not  a  twig  snapped, 
not  a  rustle  came  from  the  withered  grass,  and  scarce 
a  movement  of  the  pendent  blades  revealed  that  two 
human  bodies  were  passing  onward  toward  the  edge 
of  the  pond.  Two-thirds  the  distance  had  been 
covered,  when  the  Old  Trapper  paused  in  his  course, 
and  noiselessly  passing  his  hand  backward  along  his 
side  beckoned  with  his  fingers  for  his  companion,  who 
had  been  trailing  in  his  wake,  to  move  up  to  his  right. 
This  he  did,  and  the  two  men  lay  stretched  side  by 
side,  motionless  as  logs,  in  the  tall  grass.  The  Trap- 
per put  his  lips  to  the  ear  of  his  companion,  and 
breathed,  rather  than  whispered  into  it :  — 

"  Yis,  Henry,  ye  be  a  nateral  woodsman,  for  sartin, 
and  ye  can  crawl  like  a  Huron,  and  I  rej'ice  in  yer 
gifts.  Ye  remind  me  of  a  lad  I  had  as  a  comrade  in 
the  old  war,  and  a  truer  hearted  boy,  though  a  red- 
skin, never  drove  a  bullet  into  a  grooved  barrel. 
Many  a  time  has  he  and  me  crawled  our  way  out  of 
danger  when  the  inimy  was  round  us  on  all  sides,  and 
athirst  for  our  blood  ;  but  the  lad  himself  couldn't 
have  fetched  this  trail  stiller  than  ye  have  done.  By 
the  Lord,  Henry,  I  wish  we  had  men  and  not  beavers 
to  crawl  onto,  for  this  sort  of  business  stirs  memory 
and  blood  both  in  me,  and  my  hand  has  act'ally  slid 
tow^ard  my  knife  handle  more  than  once  sence  I 
started,  as  ef  there  Avas  a  inimy  somewhere  lyin'  close 
in  the  grass,  wdien  I  know  a  human  bein'  isn't  within 


THE  MAX  WHO  DID  XT  KXOW  MUCH.  127 

forty  mile  of  us ;  and  there's  notliin'  more  harmful 
than  innercent  beaver  in  front.  Now,  Henry,  let  yer 
very  breath  go  down  into  the  sod,  for  the  edge  of  the 
pond  isn't  fifty  feet  away." 

To  these  whispered  reflections  the  young  man  made 
no  reply  save  with  his  eyes,  and  in  an  instant  the  two 
bodies  slowly  and  without  noise  began  to  move  on 
throuo'h  the  o^rass. 

Five  minutes  may  have  passed  when  two  human 
heads  moved  slowly  and  partially  out  of  the  grass  that 
grew  with  rank  luxuriance  on  the  edge  of  the  pond 
and  hung  pendent  over  and  drooped  its  points  into 
the  water.  Several  beaver  were  swimming  hither  and 
thither  in  the  water,  while  several  others  were  busily 
engaged  in  mending  the  dome  of  their  home. 

The  Old  Trapper  put  his  lips  to  the  ear  of  his  com- 
panion again,  and  said,  "  Ye  see  the  activity  of  the 
creturs,  Henry,  and  how  they  work  wisely  accordin'  to 
the  sense  the  Creatur  has  gin  'em.  Do  ye  see  the  old 
feller  with  the  white  patches  on  his  sides  and  the  light 
spot  atween  his  ears.  Ef  he  would  only  turn  round, 
ye  would  see  he  had  no  tail,  for  he  left  it  in  my  trap 
two  year  agone,  and  how  he  steers  himself  in  swimmin' 
the  Lord  only  knows.  I  would  give  the  best  horn  of 
powder  in  the  cabin  to  see  him  try  to  circle  this  pond 
once.  I  doubt,  lad,  ef  there  be  another  man  in  the 
woods  that  could  fetch  himself  through  the  grass  to 
the  edge  of  this  pond,  and  not  distarb  the  watchful 
creturs.  I  would  like  to  see  the  man  that  could  do  it, 
for  sartin.     Jest    stay  where    ye    be,  Henry,  while  I 


128  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

move  a  foot  or  two  to  the  left  to  git  a  glimpse  back  of 
the  lodo^e." 

So  saying,  the  Old  Trapper  rolled  slowly  over  till 
his  back  was  turned  to  his  companion.  He  rolled 
over,  but  moved  not  an  inch  beyond.  His  face  sud- 
denly sharpened  with  excitement,  his  nostrils  dilated, 
and  his  hand  sought  the  handle  of  his  knife  in  earnest, 
for  there,  not  three  feet  from  his  face,  was  the  face 

OF    ANOTHER  MAN^,  AND  A  PAIR  OF   BRIGHT  EYES  WERE 
GAZING  FIXEDLY  INTO  HIS  ! 


CHAPTER    II. 


AN    ANIMATED    BUSH. 


Dressed  in  living'  sreen. 


•'  Thou  comest  in  such  a  questionable  shape  that  I  will  speak  to  thee." 

—Shakespeare. 

A  FLASH  of  lightning  is  not  qnicker  than  was  the 
motion  with  which  the  Old  Trapper  sprang  to  his  feet, 
knife  in  hand,  and,  as  he  struck  the  perpendicular,  he 
exclaimed :  "  Henry,  lad,  up  with  ye,  and  set  yer  eye 
into  the  grass  here  and  see  as  fine  an  ambushment  as 
a  Huron  ever  made.  Look  at  his  eyes,  boy,  and  tell 
me  ef  ye  can  name  the  name  of  the  cretur,  and  what 
be  the  parpose  of  his  divilments." 

The  motion  of  the  Trapper  was  not  quicker  than 
that  of  his  companion,  as  he  rose  from  the  grass  to  the 
old  man's  side ;  and  certainly  no  astonishment  could 
be  greater  than  his,  as,  following  the  direction  of  the 
old  man's  finger,  he  saw  the  gleam  of  eyes  gazing, 
as  it  were,  from  the  very  roots  of  the  marsh  grass  into 
his  face. 

For  a  minute  the  two  stood  starino-  into  the  o^rass 
where  lay  the  body  of  the  man,  into  whose  very  reach 
they  had  crept  without  the  least  suspicion  of  his  pres- 
ence. The  countenance  of  Herbert  showed  blank 
astonishment  and  surprise  too  great  for  speech,  with 
such  a  startled  expression  as  nature  would  bring  to  the 


130  ADTFOXDACK  TALES. 

face  of  one  unaccustomed  to  such  a  sudden  summons 
as  the  cry  of  his  companion  had  been  to  him.  The 
look  of  the  Trapper's  face  showed  neither  astonish- 
ment nor  alarm.  If,  on  the  instant  of  discovery,  he 
had  felt  either,  its  expression  had  j3assed  from  his 
countenance,  and  in  its  place  there  had  come  to  his 
features  the  look  of  profound  curiosity.  He  was  evi- 
dently studying,  with  the  full  force  of  his  faculties,  the 
trick  or  arrangement  by  which  the  man,  whose  eyes 
alone  were  visible,  had  been  able  to  so  conceal  himself 
that  even  by  those  who  were  then  looking  downward 
upon  him,  not  a  square  inch  of  his  garments  could  be 
seen.  In  a  moment  the  Old  Trapper  opened  his  mouth 
and  began  to  laugh  in  his  silent  but  hearty  fashion. 
For  several  seconds  he  indulged  himself  in  his  self-sat- 
isfactory merriment,  and  then,  turning  to  his  compan- 
ion, he  exclaimed  :  — 

"  By  the  Lord,  Henry,  the  cretur,  whoever  he  be, 
has  the  gift  of  concealment,  for  sartin  ;  for  he  has 
larnt  a  man,  whose  head  has  whitened  on  the  trail,  a 
trick  the  Hurons  never  dreamed  of;  and  it  might  w^ell 
take  the  conceit  out  of  me  ef  aae  had  not  larnt  me  the 
wisdom  to  know  my  ignorance.  For  here  be  I,  a  man 
who  has  never  lived  in  the  settlements,  but  lived  ac- 
cordin'  to  my  gifts  in  the  woods,  and  has  seed  a  tliou- 
sand  ambushments,  and  knows  all  the  tricks  and  divil- 
ments  of  the  redskins,  and  the  cretur  at  our  feet  here 
has  larnt  me  a  lesson  in  liidin'  whose  vartue  sets  my 
eyes  swimmin'.  See,  Henry,  the  cunnin'  of  the  cretur. 
Bless  me,  lad,  ef  he  hasn't  wove  the  very  grass  into 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  131 

Lis  breeches ;  ay,  and  into  his  shirt,  and  the  hair  of 
his  head,  too  ;  ontil  the  very  mash  is  not  greener  nor 
more  sod-hke  than  he.  It's  marvellous  that  a  human 
bein'  could  so  convart  himself  into  a  bog,  that  a  man 
with  my  gifts  and  my  trainin'  might  eenamost  have 
crawled  over  him  and  not  felt  the  shape  and  w^armin' 
of  his  body. 

"  Come,  friend,"  exclaimed  the  Trapper,  as  he  drew 
back  a  step  and  motioned  toward  the  man  at  his  feet, 
with  a  hand  that  still  kept  its  hold  on  the  knife, 
'^  Come,  friend  or  inimy,  whichever  ye  be,  suppose  ye 
h'ist  yerself  from  the  bog  and  show  yerself  in  yer  nat- 
eral  form,  as  the  Lord  made  ye,  that  w^e  may  see  what 
sort  of  an  animil  ye  be  that  has  crawled  to  the  edge  of 
this  pond  with  the  whole  mash  on  yer  back,  and  de- 
ceived the  eyes  of  one  born  in  the  woods." 

As  the  Old  Trapper  uttered  this  exclamation,  the 
grass  upon  which  they  were  gazing,  with  eyes  that  lost 
not  a  motion,  became  agitated.  A  quiver  ran  through 
a  section  of  the  turf  at  their  feet,  and  then  the  body  of 
a  man,  covered  from  head  to  foot  with  grass  and  bits 
of  sod,  deftly  woven  together  in  the  semblance  of  a 
mantle,  rose  into  the  air  and  stood  upright  before 
them  ;  but  the  strange  covering  with  which  he  had 
clothed  himself  still  clung  to  his  garments,  so  that  it 
was  impossible  to  discover  the  size  and  shape  of  the 
man,  or  what  might  be  his  actual  appearance  when 
entirely  rid  of  his  strange  metamorphosis.  But  it  was 
plainly  seen  by  the  two  men  who  stood  staring  at  the 
astonishing  figure  before  them  that  the  man  was  af 


132  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

extraordinary  height,  and  that  his  arms,  at  least,  were 
unusually  long ;  but  beyond  this,  little  could  be 
guessed  of  his  proportions  or  real  appearance. 

"  And  now,  friend,"  continued  the  Trapper,  as  he 
stood  eying  the  wonderful  figure  before  him,  "  ef  the 
grass  isn't  nateral  to  ye,  and  hasn't  growed  into  yer 
skin  so  it  would  hurt  ye  to  part  with  yer  heathenish 
raiment,  and  especially  ef  ye  have  got  any  breeches  on, 
and  yer  ribs  be  kivered  w4th  a  waistcoat,  suppose  for 
our  information  and  yer  own  comfort  ye  sort  of  shake 
yerself  free  from  what  don't  naterally  belong  to  ye,  and 
show  yerself  to  us  jest  as  ye  was  afore  ye  stole  the 
kivering  of  the  'arth  to  sarve  ye  in  yer  cunnin',  —  that 
the  lad  here,  and  me,  may  know  what  sort  of  a  man 
ye  be  ;  for  though  I  have  lived  in  the  woods  sence  I 
was  born,  and  have  consorted  with  whites  and  red- 
skins alike,  nigh  on  to  eighty  year,  and  have  seed  all 
the  tricks  and  divilments  of  Injin  cunnin',  yit  I  be 
ready  to  confess  I  never  seed  a  man  look  as  ye  do,  or 
onkivered,  afore  to-day,  sech  an  ambushment  as  ye 
made  for  the  beavers  here  on  the  edge  of  this  pond. 
So  shake  yerself  out  of  yer  kiverin'  and  show  us  yer 
nateral  figger,  or  I  shall  sartinly  lay  hold  on  ye  and  see 
what's  the  color  of  yer  hide  myself." 

In  obedience  to  this  exhortation  of  the  Trapper, 
the  strange  being,  who  had  not  yet  opened  his  mouth, 
but  had  remained  staring  at  the  two  in  front  of  him, 
began  to  quiver  from  head  to  foot.  He  shook  him- 
self, as  a  dog  shakes  himself,  from  extremity  to 
extremity ;  the    vibrations    began    at  his    head,    from 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  133 

which,  as  the  agitations  grew,  the  grass  spires  and 
bits  of  sod  began  to  fall  in  a  shower,  and  as  the 
motion  w^orked  its  way  down  the  body  on  its  way 
to  his  feet,  so  did  the  strange  covering  fall  away 
from  him,  until  with  a  kick  and  flourish  of  his  feet 
the  last  adhering  tufts  and  pieces  of  bogs  and 
patches  of  swamp-moss  flew  from  his  limbs,  and  a 
creature  of  astonishing  height,  clothed  in  buckskin 
from  toe  to  neck,  stood  forth  plainly  to  view. 

As  the  strange  process  of  freeing  himself  from 
his  unnatural  but  cunningly  w^rought  covering  had 
gone  on,  and  while  the  agitation  was  at  its  height, 
and  the  air  around  the  man  was  literally  full  of 
the  grass  and  sods  and  moss  he  was  shaking  from 
himself,  the  Old  Trapper  yielded  to  the  sense  of  the 
humorous  that  was  natural  to  him,  and  beginning 
with  a  smile  and  a  twinkle  of  the  eyes,  the  expres- 
sion of  mirthfulness  deepened  and  spread  until  it 
possessed  his  broad  face  and  convulsed  his  stalwart 
frame.  He  drove  his  knife  into  its  sheath,  and 
putting  his  hands  on  his  knees  laughed  a  laugh 
that  brimmed  his  eyes  with  irrepressible  tears.  In 
this  laughter  —  from  the  very  contagiousness  of  it 
perhaps  —  his  companion  joined,  and  had  there  been 
a  spectator  to  the  scene,  he  would  have  perceived  the 
strange  spectacle  of  two  men,  standing  on  a  marsh, 
on  the  edge  of  a  beaver  pond,  bent  and  swaying  with 
mirth,  while  in  front  of  them  stood  a  man  of  immense 
height  and  length  of  limb,  but  unusually  lank  in 
proportions,  and  with  a  countenance  that  moved  not  a 


134  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

line,  nor  changed  a  shade  in  its  look  of  simple  and 
almost  solemn  gravity. 

"  By  the  Lord,  Henry,"  exclaimed  the  Trapper, 
"  ef  the  youngster  isn't  made  up  of  grass  and  roots 
and  yarbs  !  He  is  nothin'  more  nor  less  than  a  section 
of  the  mash  on  legs,  and  where  there's  depth  of  sile 
enough  in  him  to  support  sech  a  crop  is  more  than  I 
can  see,  for  he  isn't  thicker  than  a  rived  shingle,  and 
another  shake  would  send  him  into  etarnity."  And 
the  Old  Trapper  fairly  surrendered  himself  to  the 
merriment  of  his  mood,  and  laughed  and  roared  until 
the  woods  that  bordered  the  marsh  rang  hollow  to  the 
sound. 

Indeed,  there  was  much  in  the  appearance  of  the 
man,  whoever  or  whatever  he  might  be,  in  front  of 
them,  to  provoke  the  mirth  to  which  Herbert  and 
the  Trapper  were  so  freely  surrendering  themselves, 
especially  when  taken  in  connection  with  the  attend- 
ant circumstances  of  the  scene.  In  height  he  was  at 
least  six  feet  and  a  half,  but  of  such  spare  and  ex- 
tremely slim  proportions  that  he  apjDeared  of  even 
greater  height.  As  for  flesh,  it  could  not  with  truth 
be  said  that  he  had  much  of  any  on  him,  for  he  seemed 
to  be  altogether  made  up  of  bones,  skin,  and  sinews. 
His  legs  were  of  extraordinary  length,  even  as  con- 
trasted with  his  immense  height,  and  his  arms  fairly 
matched  his  legs.  His  hands  were  flat,  with  long, 
slim  lingers  and  enormous  joints  and  knuckles.  His 
chest  was  narrow  and  his  shoulders  decidedly  stooping. 
His    face    was    beardless,    and,  strange    to    say,    well 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDX'T  KNOW  3IUCH  135 

and  regularly  formed  in  its  features.  His  mouth  was 
rather  small,  chin  pleasantly  rounded,  his  eyes  a  light 
grey  in  color,  his  head  fairly  rounded  and  covered 
scantily  with  fine,  lightish-colored  hair.  On  his  upper 
lip  was  a  downy  growth,  scarcely  discernible  against 
the  blonde  skin  that  seemed  incapable  of  taking  tan 
or  receivins:  those  characteristic  lines  which  life  and 
exposure  bring  to  the  average  countenance.  The 
dominant  expression  of  his  face,  and  it  spread  its 
soft  mildness  over  every  feature,  was  a  look  of  pro- 
found simplicity  —  the  simplicity  of  one  utterly  guile- 
less, and  whose  innocence  is  the  result  of  passions 
unexcited,  and  possibly  of  capacity  too  limited  to 
receive  the  temptations  and  seductions  which  are 
supposed  to  assail  and  be  received  by  the  majority 
of  mankind.  Whether  it  was  the  normal  expression, 
a  natural  constituent  of  the  youth's  countenance  — 
for  he  could  not  have  seen  thirty  years  —  or  whether 
it  was  because  he  did  not  understand,  and  was  pained 
at  the  somewhat  boisterous  mirth  of  the  two  men 
in  front  of  him,  was  uncertain ;  but  over  his  face, 
especially  in  the  unsteady  light  of  his  eyes  and 
around  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  was  visible  the 
slightest  possible  expression  of  plaintive  deprecation, 
as  if  he  suffered  in  being  laughed  at,  and  yet  knew 
not  why  he  was  the  object  of  their  mirth,  and  had 
not  the  strength  of  self-assertion  to  resent  it,  even 
if  he  did  know.  It  was  the  hurt,  deprecating  look 
of  a  lovino'  animal,  intellio'ent  enouoh  to  receive  the 
pain  inflicted  by  the  ridicule,  but  unable  or  unwilling 
to  defend  itself  from  the  infliction. 


136  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

The  Old  Trapper  perceived  what  seemed  to  be  pass- 
ing in  the  mind  of  the  singular  being  in  front  of  him ; 
he  checked  his  laughter  and  his ,  face  settled  into  its 
accustomed  gravity.  He  even  made  a  motion  that 
had  in  it  the  grave  significance  of  an  apology,  and, 
after  gazing  closely  but  respectfully  at  him  for  a 
moment  said,  in  the  direct  fashion  of  a  hunter's 
speech,  and  in  a  tone  that  had  in  it  the  vibration  of 
astonishment,  — 

«  Who  be  ye?" 

For  a  moment  the  man  made  no  reply,  but  stood 
looking  first  at  the  one  and  then  at  the  other.  At 
last  his  eyes  fixed  themsel-ves  mildly  but  steadily 
upon  the  honest  countenance  of  the  Trapper,  and  he 
replied :  — 

"  I    AM    THE    MAN    WHO    DOn't    KNOW    MUCH." 

"  Well,"  returned  the  Trapper,  "  ye  be  singularly 
named  for  sartin,  and  I  dare  say  honestlv,  but  ye  are 
the  fust  man  I've  ever  met  on  the  'arth,  whether  he 
was  born  in  the  woods  or  the  settlements,  that  would 
own  up  to  his  lackin's  or  confess  to  his  foolishness. 
And  as  to  ye  not  knowin'  much,  ye  sartinly  know 
enough  to  ambush  a  beaver  pond  when  the  water  is 
alive  with  the  rogues,  and  the  top  of  their  lodge  sen- 
tinelled by  the  father  of  the  tribe,  who  larnt  the  folly 
of  carelessness  in  a  way  a  beaver  isn't  apt  to  forgit 
when  he  left  his  tail  in  my  trap  two  year  agone ;  and 
that's  givin'  ye  credit  for  larnin'  that  few  men  in  the 
w^oods  have  to-day,  not  to  speak  of  the  parsons  and 
other  great  men  of  the  settlements,  who  could  no  more 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  137 

fetch  a  trail  across  this  mash  to  the  edge  of  this  pond 
here  and  not  skeer  the  critters  than  they  could  stop  a 
Avild  pigeon  in  its  flight  Avith  a  single  bullit,  with  all 
the  larnin'  of  their  books  to  help  them.  And  let  me 
tell  ye,  lad,  for  it  may  comfort  ye  ef  ye  be  short  of 
larnin'  and  feel  the  lack  of  it  powerful-like,  there  isn't 
another  man  'twixt  the  Horricon  and  the  great  plains 
that  could  so  sink  his  body  into  this  mash  and  kiver  it 
with  grasses  that  old  John  Norton,  when  fetchin'  an 
onsartin  ambushment,  would  crawl  within  reach  of 
his  knife,  ef  he  was  hostile,  and  lie  within  a  yard  of 
him  for  three  minutes  and  not  know  of  his  presence. 
And  was  it  not  for  the  cunnin'  of  yer  trick  and  the 
fact  that  years  has  larnt  me  that  the  gifts  and  the 
larnin'  of  mortal  man  is  imparfect,  I  should  be 
kivered  with  shame  at  the  thought  that  I  act'ally 
rolled  over  agin  ye  afore  I  knowed  the  grass  within 
reach  of  my  arm  was  inhabited.  So,  comfort  yerself, 
lad,  for  ye  be  sartinly  gifted  as  few  be  in  crawlin'  and 
hidin',  for  ye  have  done  what  was  never  done  afore 
by  white  or  redskin,  in  peace  or  war,  sence  my  eyes 
knowed  the  trail,  or  my  nose  larnt  the  difference  twixt 
the  smell  of  dead  grass  and  the  body  of  a  mortal. 
But  why  be  ye  here,  lad,  and  where  be  ye  bound?" 

But  the  youth  made  no  reply,  but  stood  and  stared 
at  the  old  man,  with  mouth  half-open  and  eyes  filled 
with  surprise.  At  last,  without  answering  the  interro- 
gation of  the  Trapper,  he  said  :  — 

"  Be  you  John  Norton,  the  Trapper !  I've  heard 
of  you  since  I  was  a  boy  on  the  farm,  by  the  great 


138  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

sea,  and  men  told  great  tales  of  you,  and  one  man 
said  you  saved  his  life  way  off  in  the  West,  where  the 
land  is  all  flat  and  the  Indians  are  thick  as  the  s^rass. 
And  partly  because  they  laughed  at  me  at  home  after 
mother  died,  and  partly  because  I  wanted  to  find  you 
and  live  with  you,  I  ran  away  and  came  to  the  woods 
here,  where  I've  been  these  twelve  years  trying  to 
find  you.  And  now  I  have  found  you,  and  you  said 
I  did  well  in  crawling  onto  the  beaver  here,  I'm  so 
happy."  And  the  poor  fellow  paused  as  if  overcome 
with  very  delight.  And  then  he  looked  wistfully  at 
the  Old  Trapper,  as  if  he  would  ask  a  favor,  which  he 
feared  would  not  be  granted,  took  a  half-step  toward 
him  and  said  timidly,  ''  John  Norton  !  please,  may  I 
take  one  of  your  hands?" 

"  Lord  bless  ye,  lad,  of  course  ye  may.  And  ye 
needn't  think  it's  any  great  honor  either,  and  ef  I  can 
do  ye  any  good,  or  gin  ye  a  lift  in  any  way,  I  will  do 
it  for  sartin,  and  there's  my  hand  on  it,"  and  the 
Trapper  stretched  out  his  broad  palm  to  the  youth, 
who  took  it  in  one  of  his  long  bony  hands  and  clasped 
his  fingers  round  it  with  a  closeness  of  grip  that  would 
have  crowded  the  bones  out  of  place  in  a  weaker 
structure,  while  his  face  was  absolutely  radiant  with 
delight. 

"  Ay,  ay,  shake  away,"  exclaimed  the  old  man, 
laughing  as  he  saw  the  pleasure  on  the  young  man's 
face  and  felt  the  power  of  his  grip,  "  ye've  got  a  grip 
like  a  bear-trap,  and  ef  ye  was  as  strong  in  yer  back 
as  ye  be  in  yer  fingers  ye'd  be  a  tough  one  to  meet 


THE  MAX  WHO  niDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  139 

in  a  scrimmage  when  yer  blood  was  up,  the  whoop  of 
3^er  inimies  was  sharj)  in  yer  ears,  and  ye  warmed  to 
the  w^ork.  And  now,  wdiat  can  ye  do  and  what  can  I 
do  for  ye,  my  hoy?  for  tall  as  ye  be  ye  seem  no  more 
than  a  boy  to  one  wdio  has  seed  seventy  year  come  and 
ofo,  and  w^hose  head  is  whitenin'  with  the  snows  of  the 
winters  he  has  lived." 

"  I  can't  do  much,"  responded  the  other,  "  for  I  am 
not  smart,  but  silly,  and  I  never  could  learn  at  school 
like  my  brothers,  although  I  got  through  my  letters  ; 
and  mother,  who  never  scolded  me  because  I  was  dull, 
learnt  me  to  read  the  Bible,  and  I  haven't  forgot  what  I 
read,  either.  But  I  can  w^ork  at  almost  anything  you 
may  put  me  at,  and  if  you  will  only  let  me  live  with  you 
I  will  do  anything  you  tell  me.  And  I  had  great  luck 
at  trapping  last  year,  and  I  have  as  nice  a  boat  as  was 
ever  built,  and  a  bran  new^  rifle,  and  traps  enough  to 
set  a  twenty-mile  line  ;  and  I  love  the  woods  and  you, 
for  I  have  heard  of  your  goodness,  and  if  you  won't 
laugh  at  me  because  I  am  silly,  nor  blame  me  w  hen  I 
make  mistakes,  I  will  work  for  you  as  long  as  I  live." 

While  the  poor  fellow  had  thus  been  running  on  in 
his  entreaty,  the  Old  Trapper  had  stood  looking  stead- 
ily at  him  ;  and  over  the  calm  gravity  of  his  features 
there  came,  as  the  youth  proceeded,  the  look  of  supreme 
tenderness,  as  if  the  spirit  of  the  mother,  to  Nvhicli  the 
speaker  alluded,  had  actually  taken  possession  of  the 
Trapper's  heart,  and  was  pleading  within  his  bosom  in 
behalf  of  her  unfortunate  boy.  For  a  moment  after 
the  youth  had  done  speaking  the  Trapper  stood  gazing 


140  ADIBOXDACK    TALES. 

at  him  in  silence ;  then  he  said :  "  Boy,  ye  may  come 
with  me,  and  whether  ye  know  leetle  or  much,  be  quick 
or  slow  in  larnin'  and  doin',  I  will  be  yer  friend.  Ye 
may  not  be  knowin',  and  I  honestly  doubt  if  the  Lord 
has  favored  ye  in  that  respect,  for  sartin  ;  but  His  gifts 
are  not  all  in  one  direction,  and  the  cunningest  beaver 
hasn't  always  the  deepest  fur;  and  He  has  sartinly  gin 
ye  an  honest  face  and  a  sperit  as  innercent  as  a  faan's, 
and  that  goes  f  urder  in  His  sight,  both  here  and  in  the 
warld  to  come,  than  a  knowin'  head  and  a  cunnin' 
tongue,  as  I  jedge.  So  ye  may  go  to  yer  boat,  wdiich  I 
conceit  to  be  in  the  outlet,  and  we  will  fetch  our'n  over 
the  carry  and  jine  ye  as  soon  as  we  may.  And  Henry," 
continued  the  Old  Trapper,  as  he  turned  toward  his 
companion,  "  do  ye  take  the  hand  of  the  lad ;  for  the 
Lord  alone  knows  the  parpose  He  has  had  in  bringin' 
us  together  in  this  ambushment,  nor  where  the  trail 
that  leads  us  from  this  mash  will  tarminate." 

At  the  word  of  the  Trapper,  Herbert  had  advanced 
and  took  in  a  frank,  hearty  way  the  hand  of  the  youth, 
who  seemed  greatly  embarrassed  at  the  friendly  over- 
ture, but  who  nevertheless  extended  his  hand  to  Her- 
bert's grasp,  but  in  a  timid  way  that  characterizes  the 
act  of  a  bashful  and  shrinking  spirit. 

"  Ye  sartinly  don't  look  much  alike,"  remarked  the 
Trapper,  as  he  stood  looking  from  one  to  the  other  of 
the  young  men,  so  nearly  the  same  in  age,  and  so  totally 
unlike  in  other  respects.  "  No,  ye  sartinly  don't  look 
alike,  and  yer  gifts  be  wider  apart  than  yer  looks,  and 
I  marvel  that  the  Lord  should  gin  to  one  of  His  ere- 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  141 

tiirs  SO  much  and  so  leetle  to  another ;  but  I  dare  say 
He  has  His  reasons  and  acts  with  jedgment  in  the 
matter,  though  to  a  mortal  who  knows  only  what  he 
sees,  it  looks  unfair  and  agin  reason.  But  the  mis- 
sioners  say  —  and  I  conceit  there  may  be  truth  in  it  — 
that  things  on  the  'arth  got  twisted  by  some  divilment 
or  other  in  the  beoiunin' ;  but  that  afore  lonsf  the 
Almighty  will  straighten  things  out,  and  he  who  has 
leetle  shall  have  much,  and  the  last  shall  be  fust ;  but 
it  will  take  a  good  deal  of  overhaulin',  as  I  jedge,  and 
I  don't  see  jest  how  it  is  to  be  fetched  about,  though  it 
ought  to  be,  for  sartin.  Come,  lad,  ye  go  yer  way  to 
yer  boat,  and  we  will  jine  ye  as  soon  as  we  can  fetch 
the  canoe  and  the  pack  over  the  carry." 

Thirty  minutes  later,  Herbert  and  the  Trapper  had 
crossed  the  carry  and  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  stream 
where  they  had  expected  to  find  their  new  acquaint- 
ance, but  no  one  was  in  siolit.  Thev  had  traversed 
the  carry  in  that  noiseless  fashion  Avhich  a  life  of 
caution,  natural  to  those  who  depend  for  their  food 
and  safety  on  the  stillness  of  their  movements,  quickly 
makes  habitual,  and  now  they  were  standing,  the  Traji- 
per  leaning  on  his  paddle  at  the  end  of  the  canoe  ready 
to  launch  it  forth  on  the  stream,  and  Herbert,  rifle  in 
hand,  on  the  extreme  edo^e  of  the  bank  waiting^  for  the 
word  to  embark  when  the  old  man  should  shove  off. 
For  several  minutes  they  stood  listening  for  some 
sound  that  should  reveal  the  coming  of  their  comrade ; 
but  no  sound  could  be  heard,  save  the  rustle  of  the 
beech  leaves  overhead,  and  the  squeaking  of  some 
mold  mice  in  a  bog  near  at  hand. 


142  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

"I  say,  Henry,"  said  the  Trapper  at  length,  in  a 
low  tone  of  voice  and  scarcely  above  a  Avhisper,  "  where 
do  ye  think  the  lad  is?  Here  we  be  on  the  outlet 
where  we  told  him  to  meet  us,  but  I  see  no  signs  of 
the  boy.  What  shall  we  do  ?  —  Hoot !  here  he  comes  ! 
The  lad  has  his  gifts,  but  he  isn't  parfect  at  the  paddle 
yit,  for  I  sartinly  caught  the  sound  of  it  in  the  sand, 
where  the  stream  shallows  into  the  lake.  Ye  will  see 
him  round  the  bend  in  a  niinit,  or  the  hole  in  my 
ears  has  growed  up." 

Surely  enough,  in  a  moment  the  boat  came  round 
the  curve,  and  was  laid  alongside  of  the  bank  wdiere 
they  stood.  In  the  boat  was  a  pile  of  traps  of  various 
makes  and  sizes,  and  just  from  the  maker's  hand;  for 
they  had  the  new,  fresh  look  about  them  which  even 
one  season's  use  would  take  away.  A  pair  of  oars  of 
uncommon  length,  and  admirably  modelled,  trailed  from 
their  rowlocks.  A  rifle  of  unusual  size  and  weight, 
with  horn  and  bullet-pouch,  was  lashed  with  buckskin 
thongs  to  a  resting-place  evidently  made  expressly  for 
it,  along  the  right  side  of  the  boat,  which  was  itself 
extraordinarily  long  and  narrow,  being  fully  seventeen 
feet  in  length,  and  not  more  than  three  feet  in  its 
widest  section  at  the  centre,  and  the  lines  on  which  it 
was  built  were  perfection  itself,  for  fast  running.  A 
hound,  of  great  size  and  beauty,  evidently  a  cross 
between  the  Irish  and  German  breed,  sat  upright  on 
its  haunches  on  the  forward  thwart.  As  the  boat 
moved  easily  up  to  the  bank  at  his  feet,  the  Trapper 
said :  — 


THE   :\IAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  143 

"  Well,  lad,  ye  be  well  furnished  for  sartin,  though 
yer  boat  is  too  long  to  work  easy  in  the  cricks,  and 
would  make  a  good  many  backs  ache  on  the  carry. 
Yer  traps  be  all  right,  although  a  leetle  too  newish  for 
raal  sarvice,  but  a  few  months'  usin'  will  limber  them 
up  mightily.  The  dog  is  a  good  un,  and  I  marvel 
where  ye  found  him,  for  next  to  Rover  here,  he  is  the 
bio'orest  doo-  of  his  cross  I  ever  seed  in  the  woods. 
I  think  ef  they  consort  well  together  and  are 
friendly  we  will  let  'em  drive  one  buck  this  fall  in 
company  for  the  sake  of  their  music,  for  a  hound's 
mouth  has  a  great  many  tunes  in  it  that  are  worth  lis- 
tenin'  to  on  a  frosty  mornin',  ef  I  am  any  jedge.  Yer 
rifle  looks  biggish  to  one  who  has  larnt  that  a  heavy 
barrel  don't  make  the  l?ad  go  any  furder,  but  it  has, 
as  I  see,  a  big  bore,  and  chambers  a  handful  of  powder, 
and  that's  in  its  favor  when  ye  want  to  do  long 
work  on  a  windy  day,  or  ye  be  on  the  pint  of  squarin' 
accounts  with  a  panther.  Ye  needn't  git  out,  lad,  but 
shove  down  the  crick  and  we  will  follow.  We  be 
pushin'  through  to  the  Saranacs  to  see  the  boat-race 
there,  and  take  a  hand  in  it,  too,  it  may  be,  and  we 
must  camp  to-night  thirty  mile  from  here,  and  the  sun 
is  on  the  west  side  of  the  pines  already.  We  shall 
have  time  to  be  better  acquainted  afore  we  git 
through."  So  saving,  the  Trapper  launched  his  canoe, 
and  the  two  boats  disappeared  down  the  crooked 
stream. 


CHAPTER     III. 

CAMP    LIFE. 

"  In  Nature  there  is  nothing  melancholy."  —  Coleridge. 

It  was  nigh  sunset  when  a  boat,  followed  closely  by 
a  canoe  with  a  paddler  at  either  end  of  it,  shot  out  of 
a  bay  that  indents  the  western  shore-line  of  Big  Tup- 
per,  near  its  southern  extremity,  and  headed  toward 
the  falls  made  by  the  water  that  comes  tumbling  out 
of  Bog  River,  over  the  ledge  of  rocks  which  impedes 
its  easy  entrance  into  the  lake  below.  Both  boat  and 
canoe  were  being  propelled  at  a  rate  which  showed 
that  the  man  who  bent  to  the  oars,  and  those  who 
wielded  the  paddles  in  the  canoe  behind  him,  were  ac- 
customed to  the  work  they  were  at,  and  were  not  dis- 
posed to  loiter.  The  lake  was  as  smooth  as  if  no  rip- 
ple had  ever  stirred  upon  its  surface,  and  the  clouds 
which  lay  in  rolls  and  patches  overhead,  crimsoned  on 
their  western  sides  by  the  red  rays  of  the  declining 
sun,  and  dark  on  the  other  with  the  gloom  of  the  com- 
ing night,  were  perfectly  reflected  in  the  still  depths. 
The  bay  out  of  which  they  had  come  was  speckled 
with  the  highly  colored  autumnal  leaves  which  the 
winds  of  the  day  had  blown  from  the  maples  that 
lined  the  upper  end  of  the  cove,  and  lay  like  great 
flakes  of  crimson  snow,  that  could  not  sink  nor  melt, 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  3IUCH.  145 

on  the  blue-green  surface.  Through  the  still  air  came 
the  roar  of  the  falls  in  solemn  murmurs,  now  swelling 
with  full  volume  of  sustained  sound,  and  anon  sinking 
and  dying  away  until  the  ear  almost  lost  the  direction 
of  the  smothered  swell.  The  mountains  to  the  east 
stood  forth  in  all  their  grand  proportions,  their  vast 
sides  from  base  to  summit  red  Avith  solar  flame,  and 
their  peaks  showing  sharply  in  outline  against  the 
dusky  blue  of  the  remoter  sky.  The  mountains  to  the 
west  were  already  dark  with  the  growing  gloom,  and 
their  ponderous  shadows  stretched  half  across  the 
lake. 

"  I  tell  ye,  Henry,"  said  the  man  who,  kneeling  in 
the  bow  of  the  canoe,  was  wielding  his  paddle  with  the 
precise  and  leisurely  but  powerful  stroke  of  strength 
and  consummate  skill,  and  who  was  none  other  than  our 
old  friend,  the  Trapper,  —  ^^  I  tell  ye,  Henry,"  said  he, 
addressing,  without  turning  his  head  or  varying  his 
stroke,  his  companion  in  the  stern,  "  the  lad  pulls  a 
•  strong  stroke,  ef  it  be  rather  slow  and  not  so  snappy 
as  is  jedicious  in  a  light  boat.  His  gather  isn't  very 
lively,  for  sartin,  and  his  head  sort  of  lops  down  on 
his  chest,  but  his  boat  runs  on  an  even  keel,  and  he 
reaches  for  a  good  deal  of  water.  I  conceit  we  had 
better  flirt  this  birch  up  to  him  a  leetle  and  let  him 
know  that  we  mean  to  git  to  the  p'int  soon  enough  to 
take  supper  with  him  anyway.  Do  ye  lengthen  yer 
stroke  a  foot  or  so,  Henry,  and  give  me  the  beat  of  a 
leetle  livelier  tune,  back  there,  as  the  fiddlers  say,  for 
the  paddle  in  the  bow  must  take  its  hint  from  the  pad- 


146  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

die  in  the  starn,  onless  ye  would  have  yer  hoat  rockin' 
like  a  cradle  in  the  settlements." 

To  this  injunction  Herbert  yielded  a  ready  assent, 
and  set  the  Trapper  a  stroke  that  gave  him  a 
chance  to  put  his  enormous  strength  into  his  paddle. 
For  half  a  rniliute  not  a  sound  was  heard,  save  the  dip 
of  the  paddle  blades  as  their  thin  edges  were  whipped 
into  and  out  of  the  water,  and  the  hiss  of  its  parted 
surface  as  the  sharp  canoe  flew  through  it.  Up  and 
down  the  paddles  flashed.  They  rose  and  fell  with  the 
precision  of  machinery,  and,  driven  by  their  powerful 
pressure  the  canoe  fairly  flashed  through  the  dusky  air. 
For  a  moment  it  gained  rapidly  on  the  boat  —  so  rap- 
idly that  in  an  instant  the  beak  was  within  a  dozen  feet 
of  its  stern,  and  the  Trapper  called  good-naturedly  to 
the  man  who  was  working  soberly  at  the  oars  ahead  : — 

"  Look  out,  lad,  we  be  comin'  for  ye.  Henry  has 
sartinly  took  the  floor  in  'arnest,  with  his  moccasins  off, 
and  has  sot  my  paddle  agoin'  to  the  motions  of  a  jig 
that  the  parsons  in  the  settlements  never  danced  to. 
We  don't  want  to  run  ye  down,  lad,  and  spill  yer  traps 
and  yer  dog  into  the  water ;  but  yer  will  have  to 
lengthen  yer  stroke,  and  put  a  leetle  more  snap  into 
yer  gather,  or  we  shall  bunt  ye  in  a  minit." 

'^  I  don't  care  if  you  and  Henry  do  bunt  me," 
returned  the  man  at  the  oars,  "  for  I  know  you  are 
only  in  fun  ;  but  I'd  just  as  soon  run  faster  as  not,  for 
the  sooner  w^e  get  in  the  sooner  we  will  have  something 
to  eat  —  audi  am  real  hungry; — but  I  don't  think 
you  can  catch  me,  for  I've  got  a  first-rate  boat  to  run, 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH  147 

and  my  oars  are  very  long,  and  I'll  lengthen  out  a  bit 
if  you  say  so." 

While  he  had  been  saying  this,  in  a  simple,  quiet 
tone  of  voice,  with  not  the  least  vibration  of  excite- 
ment in  it,  he  had  been  lengthening  his  stroke  and 
quickening  his  gather,  until  by  the  time  he  had  done 
speaking  he  was  pulling  with  a  sweep  and  finish  that 
no  one  could  have  believed  possible  to  one  so  spare  of 
frame  and  so  awkward  in  his  habitual  motions. 

By  this  time  the  two  boats  were  fairly  flying,  for 
The  Max  Who  Did'nt  Kxow"  Much  had  set  him- 
self a  stroke  which  a  professional  coach  would  have 
called  nearly  perfect,  —  long  and  strong,  and  evenly 
pulled  from  beginning  to  end.  The  immense  length 
of  his  body  and  arms,  taken  in  connection  with  the 
size  of  his  oars,  enabled  him  to  get  and  keep  a  hold 
on  the  water  a  fidl  yard  ahead  of  where  an  ordinary 
stroke  would  begin,  while  the  blades  remained  in  the 
water  until  they  had  passed  nearly  to  the  stern  of  the 
boat  and  were  ready  to  trail.  His  recovery  was  cer- 
tainly not  quick,  but  it  did  not  linger  at  any  point, 
and  was  made  with  the  precision  of  machinery,  while 
the  blades  dropped  into  the  lake  as  if  it  was  oil,  for 
not  a  drop  was  disturbed  on  the  surface,  and  the  grip 
they  got  on  the  water  was  strong  as  pressure  could 
make  it  from  the  start.  It  was  a  stroke  such  as  no 
one  that  had  not  the  Lad's  enormous  length  could 
deliver,  and  which  would  require  far  greater  strength 
than  his,  probably,  to  sustain ;  but  if  it  could  be  kept 
up,  no  mortal  man  of  shorter  build  could  live  a  race 
out  with  him. 


148  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

"  I  tell  ye,  lad,"  said  the  Trapper,  as  lie  put  the 
strength  of  his  powerful  frame  into  the  paddle,  until 
the  polished  staff  bent  to  the  strain,  as  a  foil  bends 
when  the  fencer  suddenly  drops  his  weight  on  to  it,  — 
"'  I  tell  ye,  lad,  I  have  seed  many  men  pull  oars  on 
these  lakes  and  on  the  great  rivers  of  the  West,  too, 
when  death  was  in  full  chase  astarn  and  they  had  good 
reason  to  do  their  best ;  but  I  never  seed  a  man  pull 
sech  a  stroke  as  ye  be  puUin'.  And  ef  ye  had  a  leetle 
more  thickness  across  the  chest  and  around  tlie  small 
of  yer  back,  I  don't  believe  a  man  on  the  'artli  could 
hold  even  with  ye  for  a  mile,  onless  the  divil  was  arter 
him,  and  the  Lord  of  Marcy  gin  him  a  lift.  Now, 
here  be  Henry  and  me,  who  have  our  gifts,  and  among 
'em  I  sartinly  reckon  the  jedicious  use  of  the  paddle 
ain't  the  least ;  and  onless  he  has  forgot  himself,  I 
dare  say  he  is  doin'  his  share.  And  I  know  that  ef  I 
should  put  another  ounce  into  my  stroke  I  should  likely 
break  as  tough  a  paddle  as  second  growth  ash  ever 
made ;  and  that  would  be  a  bit  of  foolishness,  as  I 
jedge.  And  yit  ye  hold  yer  own  agin  us  handsomely, 
and  it  sartinly  looks,  as  I  see  the  swing  of  yer  stroke, 
and  git  the  reason  of  it,  that  ye  might  let  out  another 
link  or  two  ef  sarcumstances  raally  called  on  ye  for  it. 
I  tell  ye,  Henry,"  continued  the  Trapper,  as  he  turned 
his  face  a  trifle  toward  his  companion  and  lowered  his 
voice,  "  I've  always  held  that  two  paddles,  used  with 
reason,  could  beat  any  two  oars  in  the  univarse.  But 
the  lad,  here,  is  sartinly  holdin'  us  even,  and,  I  do 
believe,  he  has  act'ally  gained  six  good  inches  in  the 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  149 

last  twenty  strokes ;  and  ef  yer  paddle  will  bear  it,  I 
sartinly  advise  ye  to  pnt  a  leetle  more  force  into  yer 
stroke,  as  I  shall  into  mine,  e£  the  staff  in  my  hands 
goes  to  pieces ;  for  I'll  never  own  up  that  one  man  at 
the  oars  can  beat  two  at  the  paddle,  ef  I  be  one  of  'em, 
and  the  ash  holds  together.  So,  Henry,  quicken  yer 
stroke  agin,  and  drive  the  stick  ye  have  in  yer  hands 
into  pieces,  as  I  sartinly  will  mine,  onless  we  bunt  the 
lad  fair  and  square,  so  as  to  start  the  paint  on  his 
starn-board,  within  the  next  fifty  rods." 

The  Old  Trapper  was  evidently  warming  to  the 
work,  at  the  thought  that  one  of  his  favorite  notions 
was  in  peril,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  flashed  his 
paddle  blade  far  out  ahead,  as  he  finished  his  summons 
to  Herbert,  showed  that  his  next  stroke  would  test  the 
strength  of  his  paddle  beyond  what  ordinary  wood 
could  stand  ;  but  the  stroke  was  never  delivered,  for  as 
his  body  rosa  into  the  air  and  extended  itself  forward 
for  the  full  exercises  of  his  immense  powers,  a  sharp, 
quick  quiver  ran  through  the  canoe  from  stem  to 
stern,  and,  yielding  to  the  tremendous  sweep  which 
Herbert  gave  to  his  guiding  blade,  swooped  so  suddenly 
aside  from  the  line  of  its  previous  course  that  any  one 
less  accustomed  than  the  old  man  to  the  frail  thino- 
would  have  lost  his  balance  and  been  pitched  headlong 
into  the  lake. 

''  What  is  it,  lad,  what  is  it?  "  exclaimed  the  Trap- 
per, in  a  hoarse  whisper,  as  he  felt  the  signal  run 
through  the  canoe,  "  and  where  away  is  he  ?  By  the 
Lord,  Henry,"  continued  he,  as  his  eyes  caught  sight 


150  ABIBONDACK    TALES. 

of  an  object  standing  out  in  bold  relief  on  the  shore  a 
hundred  rods,  perhaps,  to  his  right,  "  a  bigger  buck 
never  wet  his  hoofs  in  the  water  or  made  his  bed  in 
the  moss  !  Ye  have  did  this  thhig  sarcumspectly,  lad, 
and  larnt  an  old  man  the  foolishness  of  talkin'  and 
actin'  like  a  person  without  eyes  when  his  belt  is  slack 
from  emptiness,  and  there's  no  venison  in  the  pack. 
That's  right,  Henry,  git  round  into  place  and  take  yer 
rifle  and  leave  the  paddHn'  to  me,  for  yer  eye  be  keen 
and  yer  hand  steady,  and  the  buck,  there,  is  an  old  un 
and  has  seed  man  afore,  and  ye  will  have  to  shoot  a 
far  shot  and  put  yer  bullit  where  it  ought  to  go,  or 
we'll  sup  without  meat  to-night,  for  sartin." 

The  actions  of  the  two  men  thus  suddenly  and 
unexpectedly  interrupted  in  their  race  were  character- 
istic, and  perfectly  illustrated  the  habits  of  those  who 
depend  on  the  alertness  of  their  senses  for  their 
profits  and  their  food  in  the  woods. 

The  eyes  of  Herbert,  even  amid  the  excitement  of 
the  race,  acting  in  harmony  with  a  law  of  habit  which 
had  in  it,  from  constant  practice,  the  force  of  nature, 
had  never  shortened  the  rano;e  of  their  observation, 
but  searched  with  occasional  olances  the  aatherino- 
gloom  of  the  western  shore  for  some  such  presence  as 
they  had  at  last — in  the  extreme  end  of  a  little  cove 
heavily  bordered  with  cedar  and  balsam  —  discovered. 
With  instinctive  sagacity  he  had  shied  the  canoe  to 
the  left,  out  into  the  lake  and  away  from  the  buck, 
and  in  such  a  manner  that,  when  it  came  to  a  stand, 
the  end  in  which    he  was    sitting  would    bs    pointed 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KNOW  MUCH  15V 

toward  the  game.  Thought  is  scarcely  quicker  than 
the  motion  with  which  the  Old  Trapper,  the  instant 
his  eyes  caught  sight  of  the  buck,  had  slid  from  his 
kneeling  posture  into  the  bottom  of  the  canoe,  where, 
now  sitting,  he  was  ready  for  the  advance.  Herbert 
had  no  sooner  delivered  the  stroke  with  which  the 
eanoe  had  been  turned  from  its  course  and  checked  in 
its  career,  than,  sliding  his  paddle  into  it,  he  changed 
his  position  to  the  reverse  of  what  it  had  been,  and 
with  a  motion  of  his  hand  unlashed  his  rifle  from  its 
fastenings  and  lifted  it  to  his  knees.  Thus,  in  an 
instant  as  it  were,  the  change  had  been  effected,  and 
the  difficult  job  of  paddling  np  to  a  wild  deer  in  day- 
light was  about  to  be  attempted. 

Thus  they  sat,  ready  for  the  start,  but  before  they 
started  the  Trapper  delivered  himself  thus  character- 
istically :  "  Henry,  we  have  made  seventy  mile  sence 
we've  tasted  food,  and  the  meal  be  scant  in  the  bag, 
and  the  pork  no  bigger  than  the  text  of  a  parson's 
sermon  ;  and  the  pack  of  the  lad  yender  —  Avho  hasn't 
larnt  what  we  be  up  to  yit,  for  he's  pullin'  the  same 
stroke  he  was  when  we  quit,  as  ef  he  had  no  eyes  in 
his  head,  and  etarnity  was  afore  him  —  has  more 
traps  in  it  than  biscuit,  and  though  traps  be  good 
enough  in  their  way,  yit  they  can  neither  be  br'iled 
nor  spitted,  and  I'm  as  empty  as  a  horn  with  not  a 
karnal  in  it.  I  sartinly  hope  ye  may  be  able  to  sink 
the  lead  into  him  in  a  spot  where  it  will  weigh  most. 
Now,  lad,  I  will  git  ye  as  nigh  as  I  can,  and  give  ye 
the  favor  of  all  the  light  there  is,  and  I  have  strong 


152  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

hopes  of  yer  gittin'  him,  for  yer  gifts  at  shootin'  be 
sartinly  wonderful.  I  know  ye  be  jeclicious  in  cal- 
culatin'  distance,  and  I've  never  seed  ye  miss  a  cretur 
ye  drawed  on  yit,  but  it's  mighty  dusky  for  close 
work,  and  I  sartinly  won't  blame  ye  ef  ye  miss  him. 
Don't  lift  yer  piece  till  I  signal,  for  I  know  the  habits 
of  the  cretur  and  will  keep  my  eyes  on  him.  I  shan't 
give  ye  the  sign  till  he's  about  to  jump.  So  when  ye 
git  it,  boy,  don't  be  long  in  findin'  the  bottom  of  yer 
sights,  and  remember  to  allow  for  the  darkness.  I 
hope,  with  the  feelin'  of  a  hungry  man,  that  ye'll  hit 
him,  Henry,  for  I  am  sartinly  empty  and  the  cravin'  of 
natur'  is  strono-  within  me.  Now  do  accordin'  to  the 
gifts  the  Lord  has  gin  ye,  or  three  men  will  go  supper- 
less  to  bed." 

As  the  Trapper  concluded  his  speech  the  canoe 
began  to  move  toward  the  buck,  but  with  a  motion  so 
easy  and  true  to  the  line  of  its  progress  tliat,  to  one 
looking  at  it  in  the  direction  of  its  movement,  the 
movement  itself  could  not  be  perceived.  The  arms  of 
the  Trapper  were  sunk  well  over  the  sides  of  the 
canoe,  and  his  paddle  played  in  the  water,  without 
revealing  its  motions,  as  noiselessly  and  almost  as 
invisibly  as  do  the  webbed  feet  of  the  Northern  Diver. 
His  body  was  so  held  as  to  place  Herbert's  form 
exactly  between  the  buck  and  himself,  so  that  neither 
the  motion  of  the  canoe,  as  it  slowly  floated  forward, 
nor  the  body  and  motions  of  the  paddler,  could  be 
seen.  Herbert  sat  in  plain  view,  with  his  rifle  across 
his  knees,  and  his  finger  within  the  guard ;  but  his 


THE  MAX  WHO  DWy'T  KXOW  MUCH.  153 

body  was  as  motionless  as  if  carved  out  of  the  air, 
and  the  features  of  his  face,  even,  were  stiffened  into 
the  rigidity  of  marble.  Thus  the  canoe  glided  into 
the  deepening  shadows  of  the  western  shore  and  the 
mouth  of  the  little  cove,  directly  toward  the  game. 

At  the  farther  end  of  the  bay  stood  the  buck,  his 
feet  deep  in  the  brown  sands,  and  his  antlered  head 
lifted,  as  if  in  proud  challenge,  into  the  air.  His 
posture  was  one  of  haughty  interrogation  as  to  what 
the  dim  object  gliding  in  upon  him  might  be,  and 
superb  defiance  of  it.  Twice  he  lifted  a  fore  leg 
and  drove  his  pointed  hoof  into  the  sand,  with  the 
expression  of  lordly  impatience  at  the  ignorance  or 
audacity  of  those  who  dared  disturb,  by  their  bold 
presence,  his  royal  privacy.  And  as  the  canoe  floated 
still  nearer,  twice  he  lifted  his  brown  muzzle  and  blew 
a  blast  from  his  resounding  nostrils  that  tore  fiercely 
through  the  still  air,  and  made  the  woods  behind 
him  rino'  aoain,  while  the  mountain  across  the  lake 
received  the  wrathful  sound,  and  passed  it  back  in 
diminutive  modulations  to  the  spot  whence  it  came. 
Once  he  started,  as  if  some  terrible  suspicion  had  for 
an  instant  broken  over  the  ramparts  of  his  courage 
and  stormed  into  the  very  pavilion  of  his  kingly 
spirit ;  but  it  vras  only  a  passing  weakness.  He  gave 
one  jump  ;  then  stopped,  planted  himself  as  if  inca- 
pable of  fear ;  lifted  his  nose  high  up,  and  blew  again 
a  wrathful  challenge  to  the  rude  intruders,  while  the 
hair  on  the  line  of  his  back  ridged  in  wrath,  and  his 
feet  smote  the  beach  like  hammers. 


154  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  canoe  floated  as  noiselessly  on- 
ward as  a  feather,  and  with  a  steadiness  of  motion  that 
never  varied  a  hair's  width.  Even  Avhen  the  buck 
jumped,  not  a  muscle  of  Herbert's  face  moved,  and  the 
finger  wdiich  lay  lightly  on  the  trigger  could  not  have 
been  steadier  had  the  hand  to  which  it  belonoed  been 
incapable  of  feeling.  Thus  the  man  in  the  bow  held 
his  position  with  rigid  fixedness,  and  the  man  in  the 
stern  w^orked  his  paddle  with  the  same  even  and  steady 
play  of  the  waist.  But  when  the  buck  blew  his  second 
challenge,  after  he  made  his  bound,  and  the  progress 
of  the  canoe  was  fast  brino;inof  liis  liead  in  line  with 
a  beech,  whose  silvery-white  leaves  furnished  a  back- 
ground that  would  sorve  to  bring  out  his  head  in  par- 
tial relief  at  least,  the  paddle  of  the  Trapper  stopped 
its  movement,  and  settled  to  a  trail,  and  when  the  on- 
w^ard  progress  had  lifted  the  antlers  to  the  level  of  the 
silver  leaves,  the  least  possible  quiver  ran  along  the 
sides  of  the  canoe. 

For  a  second  after  the  signal  was  given,  Herbert 
moved  not  a  muscle,  and  then  the  rifle  jumped  to  his 
cheek,  and  before  it  woukl  seem  possible  for  his  eye  to 
have  found  the  line  of  the  sight,  tlie  fiery  flame  leapt 
into  the  dusky  air,  and  the  mountains  rang  wdth  the 
rattling  echoes  of  the  sharp  explosion.  The  buck 
never  jumped,  but  dropped  in  his  tracks  as  if  his  legs 
had  been  cut  from  under  him,  and  lay  in  a  limp  heap; 
for  the  bullet  had  entered  between  the  eyes  and  torn 
its  passage  through  the  spinal  column  as  it  passed  out. 
The  Trapper  said  not  a  word  until  he  had  reached  the 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  3IUCH.  155 

spot  where  the  dead  deer  lay,  and  had  examined  both 
the  entrance  and  exit  of  the  bullet ;  but  after  he  had 
bled  the  game,  and  had  wiped  his  knife  free  of 
stain,  he  turned  to  his  comrade,  and  said  :  — 

"  I  knowed  ye  could  shoot  well  afore  to-day,  for 
I've  seed  ye  do  shootin'  that  would  put  to  shame  many 
who  boast  of  their  exploits  with  the  rifle,  but  Avhat  ye 
have  done  here  on  the  buck  shows  the  parfection  of 
the  wepon  ye  carry,  and  that  your  gifts  lie  in  the 
direction  of  a  grooved  barrel.  I  sartinly  thought  ye 
was  waitin'  a  leetle  too  long  on  the  cretur  arter  I  gin 
ye  the  signal,  and  my  in'ards  sort  of  shrivelled  with 
disapp'intment  at  the  idee  of  losing  him,  but  I  conceit 
the  reason  of  yer  waitin'  now  I've  seed  where  yeVe 
drove  the  buUit,  and  I  confess  ye  mixed  yer  brains 
with  yer  powder  and  shot  with  reason  and  jedgment, 
for  the  body  showed  dim  agin  the  bank  and  the  white 
leaves  of  the  beech  here  made  his  head  yer  best  chance  ; 
but  the  chance  was  none  of  the  best,  and  I  honestly 
question  ef  there's  another  man  in  the  woods  that  could 
have  did  as  ye  have  done  considerin'  the  darkness  and 
the  distance.  Yis,  yer  gifts  in  shootin'  be  sartinly 
oncommon,  and  I  trust  ye  feel  grateful  to  the  Giver  of 
them.  This  buck  is  as  big  as  natur  allow^s,  Henry," 
continued  the  Trapper,  as  he  laid  hold  of  his  legs  to 
roll  him  into  the  canoe,  "  and  his  antlers  will  make  the 
eyes  of  the  folks  in  the  settlements  stick  out." 

In  ten  minutes  they  were  off  the  point  on  which  a 
rousing  fire  was  burning,  while  the  Lad,  for  so  the  Old 
Trapper  had  named  him,  was  plying  his  axe  vigorously, 
preparing  wood  for  the  night. 


156  jiBIBOXDACK  TALES. 

"  Well,  lad,"  called  the  Trapper  from  tlie  canoe,  as 
it  swung:  in  toward  the  shore  where  a  stretch  of  sand 
made  the  landing  safe  for  the  frail  and  heavily-laden 
vessel,  "  so  ye  stopped  rowin'  arter  awhile,  did  ye  ? 
The  last  I  seed  of  ye  ye  was  goin'  it  as  ef  ye  had  taken 
the  job  for  the  Avinter,  and  was  putting  yer  best  licks 
into  the  beginnhi'.  The  sight  of  yer  'arnestness  sort  of 
warmed  me  up,  and  made  my  eyes  see  nothin'  but  the 
eend  of  your  boat.  And  ef  it  hadn't  been  for  Henry 
here  we  should  have  run  by  as  big  a  buck  as  ever  wore 
antlers,  and  gone  supperless  to  bed.  Come  down,  lad, 
and  take  a  look  at  the  cretur,  for  he  is  as  big  as  an 
ox,  and  the  fat  lies  as  thick  on  his  ribs  as  ef  he  had 
fed  in  the  cornfields  of  the  settlements.  There  will  be 
some  strong  and  'arnest  movements  of  teeth  on  this 
p'int  to-night  arter  the  meat  has  cooled  a  trifle,  or  else 
ye  and  Henry  has  had  better  eatin'  than  I  have  sence 
we  left  the  pond  of  beavers." 

Two  hours  later  three  men  mioht  have  been  seen 
reclining  around  a  huge  camp-fire,  Avhose  flame  rose 
directly  upward  in  a  steady  column,  illuminating  the 
branches  of  the  great  pines  overhead,  and  around,  and 
casting  its  bright  reflection  far  out  over  the  surface  of 
the  lake. 

"  Yis,  this  be  Tomahawk  P'int,  Henry,  of  wdiich  ye 
have  heerd  me  speak  afore  ;  and  right  back  here  in 
the  swale  is  '  Bloody  Spring.'  And  it  be  well  named, 
too ;  for,  though  its  waters  be  cool  and  pure  as  natur' 
ever  brewed,  yit  I  remember  the  day  when  its  depths 
was  red  with  mortal  blood ;  for  a  dreadful  scrimmage 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  157 

was  fought  here  years  agone^  and  the  dead  lay  thick 
around  it,  as  the  cones  on  the  ground  to-night.  Yis,  I 
was  young  then  ;  but  I  did  my  part  accordin'  to  my 
gifts,  and  I  was  one  of  the  few  that  come  out  aHve  ; 
for  'twas  a  close  thing,  hand  to  hand,  and  the  powder 
gin  out  on  both  sides  afore  'twas  ended.  And  we  took 
to  the  knife  and  the  clubbed  rifle,  for  blood  was  hot 
that  day,  and  marcy  was  leetle  thought  of  by  redskin 
or  white,  and  few  of  us  come  out  with  full  veins,  I 
tell  ye." 

"  What  did  you  fight  each  other  for  ? "  said  the 
Lad.  "  I  think  it  wrong  to  fight ;  don't  you,  John 
Norton  ?  " 

'^  Sartinly,  lad,  sartinly,  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances, and  in  peace  time  ;  but  there  be  times  when 
it's  necessary  to  draw  blood,  especially  in  self-defence, 
in  a  large  sort  of  a  way,  as  I  understand  it.  But  it's  a 
dreadful  thing  to  take  a  mortal  life,  I'll  allow,  and  I 
never  lined  the  siohts  on  a  man  when  it  didn't  seem 
to  me,  all  things  considered,  that  he  had  lived  long 
enough,  and  should  git  a  taste  of  the  jedgment ;  but 
I  will  confess  that  when  things  git  close,  and  ye  have 
to  take  to  yer  knife,  and  there  be  two  to  one  agin  ye, 
a  man  hasn't  much  time  to  arger  the  question  of  right 
and  wrong,  and  I  dare  say  in  secli  sarcumstances  I 
have  used  the  riHe-stock  and  the  knife  a  leetle  loose 
and  careless-like ;  and  I  recollect  the  awful  scrimmage 
we  had  here  sixty  year  agone  as  ef  it  was  but  yester- 
day, and  it  v.  as  a  most  onreasonable  and  bloody  battle, 
for  sartin,  for  when  'twas  ended  I  was  the  only  man 


158  ADIBOXDACK    TALES. 

who  could  keep  liis  feet,  and  I  had  three  bulUts  inside 
of  me,  and  a  knife  blade  driven  into  my  shoulder  here, 
with  the  handle  broke  squar'  off  in  front,  and  the  p'int 
stickin'  out  of  my  back.  But  it  wasn't  our  fault,  for 
when  their  powder  gin  out  the  Hurons  came  at  us 
with  their  tomahawks,  and  they  outnumbered  us  four 
to  one,  and  we  had  to  show  the  scamps  the  borderer's 
grit,  and  we  did,  for  I  sent  the  last  of  the  vagabonds 
into  etarnity  with  marks  on  his  throat  and  a  hole  in 
his  side,  which  told  the  Lord  as  plain  as  writin',  I 
reckon,  that  John  Norton  was  sarvin'  him  in  'arnest 
on  the  'arth.  But,  lad,  yer  sperit  be  right,  and  it  be 
better  to  live  in  peace  with  yer  fellowmen,  if  ye 
can. 

"  That's  what  mother  used  to  say  to  me,"  replied 
the  Lad,  and  the  good  Book  says  :  ^  If  -  thy  -  enemy 

-  smite  -  you  -  on  -  the  -  one  -  cheek,  -  turn  -  to 

—  him  -  the  —  other  -  also  ;  and  -  if  -  a  -  man  —  take  — 
away  -  thy  -  cloak,  -  give  -  him  -  thy  -  coat  -  also.' 
Haven't  I  said  it  right,  Herbert?" 

"  Yes,  you  have  said  it  rightly,  word  for  word," 
replied  the  other. 

"  I  knew  I  hadn't  forgot  it,"  continued  the  Lad, 
with  the  least  possible  inflection  of  pride  in  his  voice, 
"  and  I  know  it  is  a  wise  saying,  for  last  fall  a  bad 
man  got  on  the  line  of  my  traps,  and  stole  my  skins  as 
fast  as  I  could  catch  them.  And  one  day  I  caught 
him  stealing  a  mink,  and  I  went  up  to  him  so  still  he 
never  knew  I  was  nigh  until  I  touched  him,  and  he 
jumped  as  if  he  had  been  shot ;  and  drew  his  knife  on 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  159 

me ;  but  I  didn't  fear  him,  for  I  knew  I  was  right,  and 
he  w\i^,  wrong,  and  I  told  him  'tw^as  wicked  to  steal, 
and  that  if  he  wanted  skins  I  would  give  him  some 
rather  than  he  shoukl  steal  them,  if  he  would  go  to  the 
cabin.  And  he  went,  and  I  made  him  up  a  roll  of 
good  nice  ones,  and  in  the  morning,  when  he  was 
about  to  go  away,  I  gave  the  roll  to  him  ;  but  he 
wouldn't  touch  it,  but  said  he  would  never  steal 
another  skin  as  long  as  he  lived  ;  and  I  don't  believe 
he  will ;  do  you,  John  Norton  ?" 

"  I  shouldn't  think  he  would,  k^d,  ef  he  has  any 
in'ards  to  him,"  returned  the  Trapper,  as  he  looked 
steadily  into  the  guileless  face  before  him,  "  it  sartinly 
worked  well  in  yer  case,  but  I  don't  conceit  that  rod 
would  fit  every  bore.  Now,  I've  read  the  Bible  off 
and  on  for  seventy  year,  and,  take  it  all  in  all,  it's  a 
pritty  reasonable  book,  although  there  be  portions  of 
it  that  I  can't  make  sense  of,  and  now^  and  then  ye  run 
agin  a  sayin'  that's  sartinly  onreasonable,  and  the  varse 
the  lad  has  quoted,  Henry,  be  one  of  'em.  I've 
thought  a  good  deal  over  those  varses,  and  I've  ruther 
settled  down  to  the  opinion  that  either  the  words  have 
got  into  the  book  by  mistake,  or  else  that  the  Lord 
didn't  know  much  about  the  cost  of  jackets,  and  sech 
like  garments.  For  it's  sartinly  agin  reason  to  tell  a 
man  who  has  had  his  waistcott  stole  to  oive  the  vagfa- 
bond  that  stole  it  bis  shirt  also ;  especially  ef  it  be  late 
in  the  fall,  and  thread  be  scant  in  the  cabin.  Now,  I 
run  agin  a  half-breed  on  the  line  of  my  traps  last 
winter,  and  he  had  a  fisher  in  his  thievin'  fingers,  and 


160  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

I  told  him  to  drop  it  or  there  would  be  trouble.  I 
reasoned  with  him  about  the  onrighteousness  of  the 
act,  not  exactly  as  the  lad  would,  perhaps,  but  I  gin 
him  a  bit  of  my  mind  which  I  dare  say  was  equal  to 
Scriptur',  under  the  sarcumstances.  AVell,  two  weeks 
later  —  and  I  had  lost  a  dozen  good  pelts  in  the 
meanwhile,  —  I  caught  the  scamp  fishin'  around  for  a 
beaver  that  had  run  out  into  the  pond  with  one  of  my 
chains  to  him,  and  I  conceited  the  thing  had  gone  fur 
enough,  and  I  put  my  mark  on  him  so  the  Lord 
shouldn't  have  any  doubts  who  he  was,  and  who  he 
stole  from,  when  he  should  come  sneakin'  into  the 
jedgment,  even  ef  I  shouldn't  be  round  to  testify  in 
the  case.  The  lad's  way  is  a  good  un,  for  sartin,  ef 
it  will  work  ;  but  bullits  is  cheaper  than  pelts,  and  I 
shouldn't  offer  a  roll  of  good  skins  to  any  thief  I 
ketched  at  my  traps,  Scriptur'  or  no  Scriptur'.  I  tell 
ye,  powder  makes  a  louder  sound  than  pious  words, 
in  the  ears  of  a  sneak  when  fingerin'  pelts  that  don't 
belong  to  him.     What  say  ye,  Henry  ?" 

"I  say  we  had  better  go  to  sleep,  now,  and 'talk 
some  other  time.  But  before  we  turn  in,  what  think 
you  of  a  hunt  in  the  morning.  The  hounds  take 
kindly  together,  and  would  run  a  buck  to  water  in 
an  hour.  We  could  take  the  body  out  and  sell  it 
at  the  Saranacs,  or  jerk  it  here  before  we  start ;  for 
there's  two  days  yet  before  the  races.  What  say 
you  both?" 

The  idea  was  a  pleasing   one  both  to  the  Lad  and 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  161 

the  Trapper,  and  after  a  few  moments  further  can- 
vasshig  the  matter,  they  wrapped  themselves  in  their 
blankets,  and  with  their  feet  almost  in  the  warm 
ashes,  and  with  uj  covering  but  the  sky  above 
their  heads,  fell  asleep. 


CHAPTER    IV 

THE    HUNT. 

"  The  bounding  elk,  whose  antlers  tear 

The  branches,  falls  before  my  aim."  —  Bryant. 

Morning  in  the  wilderness.  The  east  was  rosy  red, 
save  where  a  hiyer  of  clouds  lying  athwart  the  rising 
light  cut  it  from  north  to  south  with  its  black  plane. 
The  mountain  summits  to  the  east  were  crested  with 
reflected  fire,  while  the  snow  which  crowned  them 
with  its  cold  beauty  blushed  at  the  kiss  of  the 
ardent  morning.  The  lake  was  one  vast  valley  filled 
with  fog.  The  impenetrable  fleece  possessed  the  in- 
tervening space  from  shore  to  shore,  and  even  masked 
the  lower  mountains  from  sight.  The  trees  dripped 
lazily.  The  gaily  tinted  leaves  of  the  maples  in  the 
coves,  without  cause,  let  go  their  hold  upon  the  stems 
and  floated  in  indolent,  zigrzao:  motions  downward. 
The  squirrels  in  the  thickets  were  waking  the  tiny 
echoes  with  their  noisy  chatterings.  At  intervals 
the  harsh  shriek  of  the  king-fisher  disturbed  the  air, 
while  now  and  then  a  loon  sent  forth  its  weird  call 
from  amid  the  feathery  fleece.  Soon  the  sun  let 
loose  its  energies ;  the  red  beams  marshalled  them- 
selves upon  the  eastern  crests  and  then  charged 
downward  in  fiery  squadrons  upon  the  fog.  Into  it 
and  through  it  they  dashed.     They  trampled  it  under 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  163 

foot,  opened  broad  lanes  from  shore  to  shore,  cut 
into  it  rioht  and  left  and  sent  it  flyino-.  The  warm, 
vibrant  life  Avas  too  much  for  the  cold,  inert  deadness, 
and  in  a  brief  space  the  mighty  orb  of  day  stood 
forth  in  the  blue  sky  in  all  his  glory.  The  lake  lay 
plain  to  view,  but  its  surface  still  smoked ;  the  dead 
air  became  a  current,  and  waves  of  thinnest  vapor 
rolled  along  the  smooth  surface.  Here  and  there  a 
shortened  column  of  denser  mist  rose  from  the  water. 
In  the  bays  and  around  the  shores  of  the  coves 
where  were  the  inlets,  a  few  vagrant  patches  might 
be  seen  stealing  like  detected  guilt  away.  Thus  Day, 
bright  and  clear,  Avith  all  it  brings  of  light,  and 
warmth,  and  renewed  life,  had  triumphed  over  its 
gloomy  rival. 

Just  as  the  fog  began  to  lift  from  the  surface  of  the 
water,  a  boat  with  the  Lad  in  it  shoved  out  from  Tom- 
ahawk Point  and  started  down  the  lake.  As  it  glided 
forward  the  Old  Trapper,  who  was  in  the  act  of  charg- 
ing his  rifle,  paused  a  moment  with  his  palm  on  the  top 
of  his  ramrod,  and  said  :  — 

''  Now,  lad,  don't  ye  forgit  Avhere  ye  are  to  watch ; 
Henry  will  lie  off  the  big  rock,  and  ye  must  place 
yerself  inside  the  island,  so  ye  can  see  well  down  the 
lake.  I  shan't  start  the  dogs  'til  I  find  a  big  un,  and 
he  won't  run  fur  ef  he's  fat  and  '  Sport '  be  as  ye  say 
he  is  in  a  race ;  and  I  warrant  ^  Rover '  won't  fool 
away  time,  for  I  can  see  by  the  look  in  his  eye  that 
he's  hungry  for  the  scent,  and  will  be  crazy  when  he 
gits  it  warm  and  strong.     Keep  yer  eyes   ojjen,   lad, 


164  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

for  I  shall  drive  in  a  big  iin,  and  ef  ye  be  as  good  at 
shootin'  as  ye  be  at  rowin'  ye'll  kill  him  afore  he  gits 
within  a  half  a  mile  of  the  lake  ;  "  and  the  Trapper 
laughed  at  his  own  conceit.  "I  tell  ye,  Henry,"  he 
continued,  as  he  drove  the  bullet  home,  still  keeping 
his  eye  on  the  receding  boat,  "  the  lad  has  his  gifts, 
but  it's  wonderful  that  the  Lord  should  do  'em  up  in 
that  sort  of  a  fashion ;  for  he's  onnaterally  lengthy  to 
begin  with,  and  looks  as  ef  he  was  built  in  sections, 
and  as  ef  the  sections  was  not  half  put  together  at 
that ;  but  his  sperit  be  right,  an'  he  sartinly  pulled  a 
stroke  last  night  that  was  amazin'.  There,  Henry," 
he  continued,  as  he  carefully  capped  the  tubes,  "  I 
didn't  like  the  way  the  bullit  in  the  left  barrel  felt  as 
I  sent  it  down,  for  it  Avent  onsteady ;  but  the  one  I 
have  put  into  the  right  was  a  beauty,  and  it  drove  even 
and  true  from  muzzle  to  chamber  as  a  bullit  should 
drive.  So  now,  ef  ye  be  ready,  take  yer  rifle  and  the 
dogs,  and  we  will  start  the  canoe.  The  sun  has  eat  up 
the  mist,  and  it's  high  time  the  pups  was  out." 

In  a  moment  the  canoe,  containing  the  Trapper, 
Herbert,  and  the  hounds,  left  the  point  and  in  five 
minutes  was  across  the  bay.  The  Trapper  stood  hold- 
ing the  dogs  in  the  leash  on  the  rock  for  an  instant, 
and  said  : — 

"  Ef  I  was  in  yer  place,  Henry,  I  would  lie  well  off 
here  abreast  of  the  rock,  for  the  runway  comes  out  by 
that  ledge  there,  and  more  than  one  deer  have  I  seed 
take  the  jump  fly  in'  ;  and  ef  the  dogs  play  fast,  as  I 
think  they  will,  —  for  I  shan't  start  'em  ontil  I  start  a 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  165 

buck  from  his  nest,  —  and  ef  he  shouki  take  water 
here  ye  will  see  as  pritty  a  sig'lit  as  a  hunter  ever  seed, 
and  one  to  make  yer  eyes  brighten  and  the  blood  in  yer 
veins  to  tingle."  So  saying  the  Trapper  disappeared 
with  the  dogs  in  the  thicket,  and  Herbert,  acting  on 
the  old  man's  suggestion,  paddled  sixty  rods  out  into 
the  lake,  and  lifting  his  rifle  to  his  knees,  waited. 

Thus  Herbert  sat  listening.  The  morning  had 
brought  no  wind,  and  the  lake  stretched  in  level 
expanse,  unruffled,  from  shore  to  shore.  Objects  were 
not  wanting  to  amuse  the  eye.  A  partridge  strutted 
out  on  the  trunk  of  a  huge  pine  that  projected  out- 
ward from  the  shore,  ruffed  its  neck,  clucked,  spread 
out  its  fan-like  tail,  and  raising  itself  to  its  highest 
stretch,  drummed  with  nervous  strokes  of  its  wings, 
loud  and  long,  with  evident  pride  at  its  brave  perform- 
ance. A  family  of  wood-duck,  a  mother  and  six 
younglings,  of  full  size  but  lacking  the  beauty  of 
older  birds,  led  by  the  lordly  drake  in  full  plumage  — 
his  crest  of  purple  and  bronze  alive  with  color,  and 
his  whole  body,  as  the  warm  rays  of  the  sun  smote 
upon  his  back,  ablaze  with  brilliance,  fairly  converting 
him  into  a  bunch  of  floating  radiance  —  swam  in 
Indian  file  around  the  outer  rock  and  continued  on 
their  course,  until  their  tiny  w^ake  faded  from  sight  in 
the  inner  cove. 

A  great  Northern  Diver,  that  had  dived  from  some 
unknown  point,  rose  for  air  within  six  rods  of  Her- 
bert's station,  shook  the  water  from  its  eyes,  flattened 
itself  an  instant  in  suspicion  as  it  caught  sight  of  the 


166  ADIROXDACK  TALES. 

canoe,  and  the  motionless  man  sitting  in  it ;  then, 
reassured,  rose  on  its  webbed  feet,  shook  its  narrow 
wino'S,  showinof  the  rounded  fuhiess  o£  its  snoAV-white 
breast,  and  the  spotted  beauty  of  its  back ;  then 
settled  back  upon  the  water,  thrust  its  head  pkiyfuily 
beneath  the  surface,  withdrew  it,  hfted  its  black  bill 
into  the  air  and  laughed  its  w^eird,  witch-like  laughter, 
till  the  honest  hills  mocked  wickedly  in  reply.  So 
Herbert  sat,  observant  of  nature's  doings,  with  eyes 
that  lost  not  a  motion  on  lake  or  shore,  and  with  ears 
open  to  receive  the  slightest  sound. 

At  last  it  came.  One  instant,  and  the  hills  em- 
bodied silence  ;  not  a  vibration  stirred  above  their 
motionless  pines.  The  next,  and  the  hollow  air  rang 
as  if  with  the  notes  of  a  dozen  bugles  suddenly  blown 
by  practised  lips,  clear,  strong,  and  full,  from  the 
signal. 

No  initial  yelp,  no  whimpering  and  doubtful  pre- 
lude, prepared  the  listener's  feelings  for  the  coming 
peal ;  but  loud,  and  long,  and  full,  as  voice  of  hound 
could  make  it,  when  the  game  starts  from  his  nest  in 
close  and  maddening  view,  did  the  clarion  peal  ascend. 
It  rose  above  the  pines,  and  liUed  the  upper  air,  rolled 
down  the  ravines  an  avalanche  of  softening  sound, 
swelled  up  above  the  peaks,  and  ran  in  minor  ripples 
of  noise  alono-  the  rido;es,  and  even  sent  its  waves  of 
melody  across  the  level  lake,  breaking  at  last,  and 
dying  away  in  melting  reverberations  on  the  farther 
shore.  The  cheek  of  Herbert  flushed,  his  eyes 
lighted,  and  the  blood  within  him  tingled  in  its  every 


THE  MAy  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  167 

vein,  as  he  heard  the  glorious  cry.  Again  and  again 
did  the  sounds  swell  upward,  and  roll  down  the 
mountain.  Peal  on  peal,  torrent,  eddies,  and  cataracts 
of  tuneful  noise,  did  the  hounds  send  rushinof  and  roll- 
ing  out  into  the  resounding  air.  Onward  in  swift 
career  they  tore.  Now  flying  along  a  ridge,  now 
plunging  into  a  deep  ravine,  where  the  thick  balsam 
branches  half-smothered  their  clarion  cry ;  now  stream- 
ing in  swiftest  race  down  a  steep  slope,  while  above, 
the  air  fairly  quivered,  torn  apart  and  shivered  into 
tuneful  fragments  by  the  imperious  summons  of  the 
dogs'  hot  throats,  beneath. 

Thus  went  the  race.  And  with  feelino^s  which 
only  a  hunter  knows  did  Herbert  sit  and  mark  its 
changeful  course, —  holding  his  very  breath  to  listen, 
when  the  sounds  made  aerial  angles,  expecting  each 
turn  would  brino;  the  doers'  mouths  toward  the  lake. 
At  last  the  buck,  pressed  by  the  hounds,  doubled 
short  upon  his  course, —  which  had  been  upward,  as  if 
he  would  climb  the  crest  and  seek  refuo-e  in  the  west- 
ern  lakes.  He  turned,  and  shot  with  all  his  speed 
along  the  very  runway  the  Old  Trapper  had  mentioned, 
straight  for  the  lake  and  the  ledge  ;  abreast  of  which 
Herbert,  eager  and  ready  for  his  appearance,  sat. 
Down,  down  he  came,  and  after  him  the  hounds.  It 
was  plain  to  Herbert  that  the  dogs  had  held  their 
own  from  the  start,  and  were  running  in  full  sight 
of  their  game.  Onward  and  downward  came  the 
race.  Buck  and  doo's  and  noise  came  on  too-ether. 
The  mountain  flowed  with  sounds.     The  steep  decliv- 


168  ABIBONDACK  TALES. 

ity  resounded  with  the  rush  of  the  vocal  torrent. 
To  north  and  south  the  echoes  barked  and  roared. 
The  owls  flew  up  into  the  dazzling  sun  affrighted  by 
the  tempest  of  noises  that  swept  and  eddied  under- 
neath their  gloomy  roosts.  The  ravens,  with  waver- 
ing wings,  fluttered  above  the  trees,  harshly  croaking. 
The  white  gulls,  sailing  on  circling  wings  far  overhead, 
screamed  their  shrill  interrogations  to  each  other,  and 
soared  yet  higher. 

Thus,  with  bay  of  hounds,  with  scream  and  croak 
of  bird,  and  volleying  echoes  pouring  down  straight 
toward  the  shore,  came  on,  like  a  tornado's  flight, 
the  hurrying  race.  Soon  the  sound  of  parting  brush 
was  heard  ;  of  crackling  steins,  of  dead  wood  crashed 
wildly  through,  of  vault,  and  plunge,  and  all  the 
noises  which  an  impetuous  race  down  a  steep  mountain 
side,  on  a  still  morning,  makes.  Nearer  and  nearer 
the  uproar  came ;  until  it  reached  the  very  limit  of 
the  brush,  and,  breaking  through  the  interlacing 
shrubbery,  w^ith  antlers  laid  well  back,  eyes  on  fire, 
tongue  hanging  out,  froth  flying  from  his  open 
mouth,  the  buck,  with  a  hound  at  either  flank,  burst 
out  upon  the  rock,  and  with  a  mighty  leap  flung 
himself,  with  all  the  momentum  of  his  flight  to  help, 
full  thirty  feet  into  the  waters  of  the  lake :  not 
unaccompanied ;  for  the  dogs  —  strong  in  structure, 
and  brave  in  their  breeding,  with  courage  hot  as 
their  heated  blood, —  took  w^ater  as  boldly,  if  not 
with  such  length  of  leap  as  had  the  game,  and  whim- 
pering as  they  swam,  still  held  their  swift  pursuit. 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  169 

In  the  canoe  Herbert  sat  motionless,  until  the  buck, 
with  plunging'  and  nervous  leaps  through  the  level 
water,  had  covered  two-thirds  the  distance  that  lay 
betwixt  the  ledge  and  boat,  then  the  rifle  jumped  to 
his  cheek,  and  the  quick  explosion  ripped  the  air 
asunder  with  its  fierce  concussion. 

The  head  o£  the  buck  dropped,  as  the  hammer 
fell,  and  lay  motionless ;  while  the  hounds,  giving 
each  a  sharp,  cpiick  bark,  turned  back,  and  swam 
contentedly  towards  the  shore. 

The  race  was  over ;  and  a  brave  one  had  it  been. 
Herbert,  having  lashed  his  rifle  to  its  fastenings, 
paddled  to  the  game,  feeling  that  the  morning  and 
the  evenins:  had  oiven  him  the  two  best  shots  he 
had  ever  made,  and  the  two  largest  sets  of  antlers  he 
had  ever  seen. 

It  was  a  difficult  job  to  ship  his  game ;  but  the  lake 
was  as  smooth  as  glass,  and  the  canoe  of  large  size, 
and  Herbert  had  taken  too  many  deer  from  the 
water  not  to  know  the  method  of  proceeding.  He 
careened  the  canoe  well  over  one  side,  and  laying 
hold  of  the  buck  by  the  tail  and  haunches,  lifted 
him,  with  a  skilful  motion,  upward.  The  hams  of 
the  buck  were  already  above  the  surface,  and  level 
with  the  edge  of  the  canoe,  when,  with  a  quick 
and  nervous  energy  that  only  a  deer  can  exhibit, 
he  delivered  a  kick  with  his  hoofs  against  the  side 
and  stove  it  through,  as  if  it  were  but  paper,  and 
sent  Herbert  head-foremost  over  the  horns  of  the 
animal  into  the  water. 


170  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

The  position  of  Herbert  was  now  one  of  extreme 
peril.  The  ballet  had  struck  the  deer,  but  at  such 
an  angle  that  it  had  not  penetrated  it,  but  glanced 
upward  into  the  air,  only  stunning  the  creature  for  a 
moment.  The  instant  that  the  head  of  Herbert  rose 
to  the  surface,  which  it  did  almost  within  the  reach 
of  his  horns,  and  worse  yet,  of  his  sharp-edged  hoofs, 
the  buck,  with  a  snort  of  pain  and  rage,  his  back 
curved  and  bristling,  plunged  at  him.  Sudden  as 
had  been  the  catastrophe,  and  startling  as  was  the 
peril,  the  self-possession  of  Herbert  had  not  left  him ; 
for  he  came  to  the  surface,  knife  in  hand,  and  ready 
for  the  rush  he  knew  would  come.  As  the  creature 
lunged  at  liim,  by  a  dexterous  movement  he  flung 
himself  aside,  and  lifting  himself  in  the  water,  drove, 
with  all  the  strength  of  his  arm,  the  blade  downward, 
aiminof  at  the  root  of  the  neck.  But  the  motion  of 
the  buck  was  swifter  than  he  calculated  for,  and  the 
blow  falling  a  foot  behind  the  point  aimed  at,  the 
knife  struck  against  the  shoulder'-blade  with  a  direct- 
ness and  force  which  parted  the  handle  from  the  hilt 
and  snapped  the  blade  off  short  in  the  middle.  A 
sound  almost  like  a  groan  escaped  the  young  man, 
as  he  dashed  his  wounded  hand,  lacerated  by  the 
broken  fragments  of  the  horn  handle,  into  the  water. 
But  no  time  was  left  him  to  consider,  for  quick  as  a 
flash  the  deer  turned  and  again  plunged  at  him. 
For  several  minutes  the  unequal  contest  raged.  The 
garments  of  Herbert  were  pierced  and  torn  in  a  dozen 
places  ;  the  flesh  of  his  cheek  was  opened  by  the  sharp- 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDXT  KXOW  MUCH  171 

poiiit3cI  prong  of  the  buck's  antlers  ;  and  before  he 
could  lay  hold  of  his  neck,  or  get  alcngside  of  him, 
one  of  his  sharp-edged  hoofs  had  lanced  across  his 
chest  and  torn  the  flesh  to  the  very  bone.  The  young 
man  hesitated  no  longer,  but  lifted  his  voice  with  all 
the  force  given  him  by  the  thought  of  his  peril,  and 
shouted  till  the  startled  air  rang  to  the  cry : 
"  John  Norton  !  —  John  Norton  !  —  help  !  " 
The  call  of  Henry  was  sent  forth  with  all  the  power 
of  a  man  from  whom  it  is  wrung  by  the  emergency  of 
extreme  peril.  The  cry  rose  into  the  air  with  a  volume 
and  energy  that  filled  the  hollow  atmosphere  with 
waves  of  sound,  rolled  far  down  the  lake,  and  smote 
aoTiinst  the  mountain  side  with  such  directness  and 
force  that  twenty  echoes  gave  it  back  with  startling 
distinctness. 

The  Trapper  was  well  down  the  mountain  and 
within  fifty  rods  of  the  shore  when  the  terrible  call  of 
his  young  companion  —  whom  he  had  grown  to  love 
as  if  he  were  his  own  son  —  smote  upon  his  ear.  Well 
did  he  know  that  nothing  but  the  direst  extremity 
could  have  extorted  a  call  for  assistance  from  Herbert 
—  much  less  such  a  cry  as  that.  Not  knowing  what 
was  the  cause  of  it,  nor  hesitating  an  instant,  he 
dashed  for  the  lake  with  a  recklessness  and  velocity 
which  would  have  been  perilous  to  one  of  less  vigor 
and  aoilitv.  Over  prostrate  trees  and  boulders  he 
leapt,  tore  his  way  through  a  wind-fall,  as  if  he  em- 
bodied the  violence  which  years  before  had  caused  it, 
burst  through  opposing  thickets,  and  with  a  mighty 


172  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

leap  over  a  monstrous  pine  that  blocked  his  way,  with 
bared  head,  and  hair  streaming  behind  him,  and  with 
his  rifle  at  a  trail,  but  ready  for  action,  stood  upon  the 
rock.  The  scene  which  met  his  gaze  blanched  his 
cheek  to  the  whiteness  of  coming  death  ;  for  there, 
forty  rods  from  the  rock  on  which  he  stood,  was 
Herbert  struggling  with  the  buck  in  the  water,  while 
the  canoe  was  rods  away  and  full  to  the  brim  ;  and,  to 
make  it  more  startling,  the  Lad,  who  was  pulling  with 
all  his  might  toward  the  spot,  was  a  half-mile  down 
the  lake. 

A  single  glance  revealed  to  the  Trapper  the  true 
state  of  things,  and  showed  to  him  the  extreme  peril 
of  his  companion  ;  for  well  he  knew  the  desperate 
strength  Herbert  was  putting  forth  to  avoid  the  horns 
and  sharp-pointed  hoofs  of  the  wounded  and  frenzied 
creature  with  which,  with  desperate  efforts,  he  was 
contending  ;  and  the  blood  that  streamed  down  his 
face,  plainly  visible  from  where  the  Trapper  stood, 
bore  witness  that  he  w\as  not  altogether  unhurt.  He 
hesitated  not  an  instant,  but  lifted  his  voice  into  the 
air  with  an  energy  of  utterance  which  sent  each  word 
with  the  momentum  of  a  cannon  ball  across  the  level 
water  to  the  fast-coming  boat. 

"  Pull,  lad,  for  the  love  of  God  !"  shouted  the 
Trapper ;  *'  lengthen  yer  stroke  and  quicken  yer 
gather,  or  yer  comrade  will  die  afore  yer  very  eyes  ! 
Pull,  lad,  pull  !  and  may  God  give  ye  strength  for 
the  deed  ye  must  do." 

The  stentorian  voice   of  the    Trapper  reached  the 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  173 

ears  of  the  Lad  as  if  lie  had  been  but  a  few  rods 
away.  The  energy  of  the  appeal,  as  truly  as  the 
revelation  of  peril  to  Herbert  that  it  made,  broke  into 
his  habitual  indifference,  as  a  bomb  exploding  unex- 
pectedly in  the  inner  court  of  a  secluded  palace  startles 
those  within.  For,  although  he  had  been  pulling  a 
stroke  such  as  the  Trapper  had  never  seen  pulled  even 
before  the  cry  had  reached  him,  yet  no  sooner  had  the 
call  of  the  old  man  sounded,  than,  as  if  power  had 
indeed  been  given  him  of  God  for  the  moment's  need, 
the  boat  actually  jumj^ed  into  the  air  as  he  bent  to  his 
stroke  and  fairly  flew  over  the  water  as  he  swept  it 
along.  The  Trapper's  eyes  glowed,  as  he  saw  the 
tremendous  stroke  of  the  Lad,  for  he  kncAV  that  two 
minutes  would  bring  his  boat  to  Herbert's  side. 
After  an  instant,  with  a  heart  full  of  hope,  he  turned 
his  gaze  from  the  on-coming  boat  toward  his  companion 
in  the  water  ;  but  a  look  of  agony  swept  into  his  face 
as  he  saw  that  Herbert  was  weakening,  and  that  he 
was  even  then  barely  able  to  keep  his  hold  on  the 
horns  of  the  buck. 

''  Hold  on,  Henry,  and  hold  up  a  leetle  longer,  for 
the  love  of  God,"  the  old  man  shouted,  "  the  lad  is 
sartinly  pullin'  with  the  strength  of  Heaven  in  his 
stroke,  and  will  be  at  yer  side  in  a  minit.  Lie  close  to 
the  cretur's  ribs  ;  keep  one  hand  over  his  shoulder, 
and  hang  to  his  horns  with  the  other,  and  the  Lad  will 
save  ye  yit." 

For  an  instant  there  was  no  reply.  Then  feebly 
and  faintly,  so  unlike  the   ordinary  tone  of  Herbert's 


174  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

voice  that  the  Trapper  started  as  if  an  electric  current 
had  entered  him,  as  his  ears  received  the  thin,  waver- 
ing sound,  —  feebly  and  faintly  over  the  water  came 
the  words,  steady  and  even  in  tone,  but  low,  as  if 
spoken  in  mortal  weakness  : 

"  John  Norton,  shoot  the  buck  !  " 

''  Ay,  ay,  Henry,  I've  thought  of  it ;  but  ye  be 
full  forty  rod  from  where  I  stand,  and  the  lead  must 
pass  within  six  inches  of  yer  head.  No,  no,  boy,  it 
isn't  best,  onless  yer  blood  is  oo^in'  fast,  and  yer 
strength  eenamost  gone.  It's  a  picked  bullit  I've  got 
in  the  right  barrel  of  my  rifle,  —  praise  the  Lord,  — 
and  I  might  perhaps  do  it,  but  the  odds  be  agin  me ; 
but  ef  ye  can't  hold  on,  and  yer  jedgment  says  it's  yer 
only  chance  —  as  it  sartinly  is  ef  ye  can't,  for  the  buck 
would  kill  ye  with  a  single  thrust  of  his  foot,  ef  ye  let 
go,  —  I  say,  H«iry,"  repeated  tlie  Trapper,  as  he  drew 
back  the  hammer  of  his  rifle,  and  pressed  the  trigger 
to  the  set,  "  ef  ye  can't  hold  on,  and  yer  jedgment 
says  it's  yer  only  chance,  I'll  do  my  best,  and  may  the 
Lord  in  His  marcy  steady  me  for  the  deed.  So  ef  ye 
can't  hold  on,  say  the  Avord,  and  John  Norton  will 
shoot  for  yer  life  :  and  his  own,  too,"  continued  the 
old  man  to  himself,  ''  for  I  wouldn't  be  a  minit  behind 
the  boy,  ef  he  went  to  the  jedgment  with  my  bullit  in 
his  brain." 

A  moment  the  Trapper  waited  for  Herbert's  final 
reply.  His  face  was  white  as  ashes,  while  the  rifle  in 
his  hand  shook  and  trembled  like  a  tamarack  in  the 
wind ;  and  then,  from  over  the    water,    feebler    and 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KNOW  MUCH.  175 

fainter  even  than  before,  came  the  same  calm,  steady 
tone ;  and  out  of  the  air,  as  it  passed,  the  old  man's 
listening  ear  could  catch  the  words  :  — 

"  Shoot  the  buck ! " 

The  Trapper  hesitated  not  an  instant.  He  drew 
himself  to  his  full  height,  advanced  his  left  foot,  lifted 
wdth  an  easy  sweep  of  his  arm  his  rifle  into  the  air,  and 
as  the  barrels  dropped  into  his  extended  palm,  his 
cheek  settled  to  the  stock,  and  his  eye,  without  a  quiver 
in  the  lid,  ranged  along  the  sights.  For  an  instant 
the  rifle  lay  on  his  palm  as  motionless  as  if  fastened  in 
an  invisible  vice,  and  then  a  fiery  stream  spurted  from 
the  muzzle,  and  the  sharp  crack  rang  out  on  the  morn- 
ing air.  He  had  shot  for  a  life,  and,  so  far  as  skill 
could  do,  had  saved  it ;  for  the  bullet,  passing  so  near 
Herbert  as  to  lift  a  lock  of  his  hair,  buried  itself  in  the 
buck's  brain  under  the  root  of  the  horns. 

The  Trapper  saw  Herbert  fall  away  from  the  deer, 
—  saw  he  had  still  strength  enough  to  make  the 
needed  motions  to  keep  himself  afloat,  and  then  he 
turned  his  eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  coming  boat. 
It  was  within  twenty  rods,  and  the  Lad  was  pulling  a 
stroke  which  seemed  to  tlie  Trapper  to  have  in  it  the 
energy  of  more  than  mortal  power,  but  miraculous  as 
it  was  in  its  length,  sweep,  and  quickness  of  recovery, 
the  body  of  the  oarsman  rose  and  sank  to  the  motions, 
as  if  no  excitement  had  stirred  his  ordinary  simple 
composure,  and  the  long  blades  entered  and  left  the 
level  water  with  a  precision  and  finish  that  tossed  not  a 
drop  of  spray  into  the  air,  while  the  line  of  the  eddy- 


176  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

ing  wake  astern  led  as  straight  from  the  spot  from 
which  he  had  started  far  down  the  lake  to  the  body  of 
Herbert,  as  a  line  could  have  been  drawn  on  a  level 
floor  by  skilled  direction.  The  Lad  gave  three  more 
strokes,  and  tlien  dropping  his  oars  to  a  trail,  he  hfted 
himself,  in  all  his  ungainly  height,  in  his  boat  and 
turned  his  eyes  forward,  searching  for  the  head  and 
body  of  his  friend;  but  above  the  level  water  Avas 
neither   body  nor   head  in  sight,  for  Herbert  had 

DISAPPEARED  1 

"  Where  is  Henry  ? "  said  the  Lad  to  the  Trap- 
per. 

The  Trapper  made  no  reply  :  indeed,  it  is  doubtful 
if  he  could,  for  his  tongue  clove  to  the  roof  of  his 
mouth,  and  his  rifle  dropped  from  his  hands  on  to  the 
rock  as  if  it  had  been  only  useless  iron. 

"  Where  is  Henry  ?  "  repeated  the  Lad,  as  his 
boat  glided  on ;  bnt  before  the  words  had  fairly  left 
his  lips  a  gleam  came  into  his  face,  and  with  a  motion 
quick  as  an  otter  when  he  lifts  for  the  dive  in  the 
midst  of  the  h  )unds,  he  launched  his  body  into  the 
depths  of  the  lake. 

The  feet  of  the  Lad  had  scarcely  disappeared  be- 
neath the  surface  before  the  Trapper,  with  a  mighty 
leap  from  the  rock  on  which  he  stood,  had  also  taken 
the  water  and  was  swimming  wdth  tremendous  strokes 
toward  the  now  empty  boat. 


CHAPTER    y. 

THE    RESCUE. 

One  that  I  have  saved  fnnn  drowning."  —  Shakesjjeare. 

The  Trapper  had  covered  half  the  distance  be- 
tween the  shore  and  the  boat,  and  was  swimming 
with  the  strenofth  and  swiftness  of  one  swdmmino^ 
for  a  hfe,  when  the  head  and  shonklers  of  the 
Lad  came  to  the  surface  as  a  diver  emero'es  from 
the  depths  when  struggling"  with  a  w^eight.  As  the 
old  man  saw  the  face  of  Herbert,  his  head  lying  life- 
less on  the  bosom  of  the  Lad,  he  jumped  half  his 
length  out  of  the  water  in  the  eagerness  of  his  joy, 
and  shouted  :  "  Ye  have  saved  him,  lad !  Ye  have 
saved  him  !  The  Lord  of  marcy  has  helped  ye,  and 
ye  have  saved  yer  comrade  !  Can  ye  hold  him  up 
a  minit,  —  can  ye  hold  him,  I  say,  till  I  can  reach 
the  boat  and  bring  it  to  yer  side  ? 

"  Of  course  I  can  hold  Henry  up, "  replied  the 
Lad,  in  a  simple,  quiet  tone,  as  if  he  w^ere  only 
doing  an  ordinary  service.  "  He  had  got  a  good  ways 
down  before  I  caught  up  with  him,  but  I  got  hold 
of  him  finally,  and  fetched  him  up.  I'm  a  httle 
short  of  breath,  for  you  called  so  loud  to  me  that  I 
knew  you  wanted  me  to  come  right  along,  and  so  I 
pulled  real  hard.      But  you  needn't  worry  about  my 


178  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

letting  Henry  go,  for  I'm  a  first-rate  swimmer,  and 
don't  feel  tired  a  bit." 

"  Pulled  hard  ?  "  murmured  the  Trapper,  as  he  laid 
hold  of  the  stern  of  the  boat,  which  he  had  reached, 
and  with  a  strong  skilful  movement  lifted  himself 
astride  of  it,  when  he  instantly  seized  the  paddle  and 
started  it  toward  the  Lad ;  ''  I  think  ye  did  pull  hard. 
Ye  have  did  what  no  other  man  John  Norton  ever  seed 
could  do  ;  and  the  Lord,  whose  eye  has  been  on  this 
lake  this  morn,  will  remember  ye,  lad,  when  he  gives 
his  rewards  to  them  who  did  well  on  the  'artli ;  and  I 
sartinly  hope  I  may  be  there  to  give  my  idees  of  yer 
conduct,  and  put  a  few  words  in  as  to  yer  stroke.  I 
don't  believe  the  Lord  would  refuse  to  hear  the  jedg- 
ment  of  an  old  man  Avho  seed  the  thing  from  begin nin' 
to  eend,  either.  There,  lad,"  continued  the  Trapper, 
as  he  swept  the  boat  alongside  and  checked  it  with  a 
reverse  stroke  of  his  paddle,  "  give  the  boy  to  me,  and 
do  ye  swim  to  the  other  side,  and  steady  the  boat 
while  I  lift  him  in."  So  saying,  the  old  man  passed 
his  strono;  arms  under  the  shoulders  of  Herbert  as 
tenderly  as  a  mother  might  prepare  to  lift  a  sleeping 
child,  while  his  eyes  fixed  themselves  on  the  pallid  face 
with  an  intensity  as  if  they  would  penetrate  the  mortal 
frame  to  see  if  the  soul  still  hovered  within. 

The  Lad  promptly  obeyed  the  old  man's  directions, 
and  in  an  instant  the  body  of  Herbert  lay  stretched  in 
the  bottom  of  the  boat,  while  his  head  was  supported 
by  the  lap  of  the  Trapper.  Li  another  instant  the 
Lad,  with  surprising  agility,  climbed  over  the  bow  of 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  3IUCH  179 

the  boat,  and,  sliding  into  his  seat,  Laid  hold  of  the 
oars,  and  with  a  long,  strong  stroke  started  toward 
the  point  which  they  had  left  scarcely  an  hour  before, 
and  above  which  a  thin  volume  of  blue  smoke  from 
their  smouldering  camp-fire  was  still  ascending. 

The  Trapper  had,  in  the  meantime,  unbuttoned  the 
collar  of  Herbert's  shirt,  and  laid  his  hand  over  the 
heart,  searching  for  evidence  that  life  still  held  her 
uncertain  residence  within. 

*^  You  don't  think  Henry  is  going  to  die,  do  you  ?  " 
said  the  Lad,  as  he  laid  to  his  stroke  till  the  lono^ 
blades  of  his  oars  bent  to  the  pressure. 

"  No,  lad,  no  ;  not  ef  the  Lord  be  mindful  of  the 
livin'.  The  boy  be  too  young  to  die,  and  the  'arth 
needs  him  ;  for  his  gifts  be  wonderful,  and  I  have 
heerd  said  that  thousands  love  him  in  the  settlements. 
And  I  know,"  he  continued,  "  that  there's  an  Old 
Trapper  here  in  the  woods  who  loves  him,  as  he  hasn't 
loved  man  for  forty  year,  and  never  thought  to  love 
agin  this  side  the  great  Clearin'.  No,  no;  he  mustn't 
die.  I've  reckoned  on  the  boy's  company  for  many  a 
year  yit,  when  he  comes  to  the  woods,  and  conceited 
that  perhaps  the  Lord  of  marcy  would  let  him  be  nigh 
when  me  and  the  hound  start  on  the  trail  that  leads 
into  the  dim  Valley.  Take  him  by  the  feet,  lad,  lift 
easy,  and  we  will  bear  him  to  camp.  Yis,  yis,  I  know 
now  why  the  Lord  brought  us  three  together  at  the 
pond  of  the  beavers." 

While  the  Trapper  had  been  thus  half-talking  to 
himself,  the  boat  had  run  in,  on  to  the  beach  off  the 


180  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

point,  and  the  two  men,  by  a  common  movement,  had 
lifted  Herbert  in  their  arms  and  borne  him  to  the  fire. 

For  nearly  half  an  hour  the  two  worked  over  their 
inanimate  companion,  striving  to  bring  the  departed 
breath  back  to  his  motionless  nostrils,  and  to  start  the 
^sluggish  current  of  his  chilled  blood  to  its  accus- 
tomed movement ;  but  his  limbs  still  remained  limp, 
his  eyes  closed,  his  nostrils  inactive,  and  the  features 
set  in  the  quiet,  rigid  smoothness  which  marks  the 
countenance  of  one  who  has  passed  forever  from  the 
mortal  tenement  which  his  presence  had  once  made 
animate  cind  lovely.  Still,  above  the  heart,  the  skin 
was  warm,  and  the  palm  lightly  placed  over  it  could 
interpret  the  faintest  movement  within.  It  was  as  if 
the  spirit,  called  suddenly  away  from  its  recent  home, 
still  lingered  with  its  foot  on  the  threshold  to  take 
one  more  last  and  tender  look  at  the  loved  abode  it 
was  about  to  leave  forever.  The  face  of  the  Old 
Trapper  was  grave  with  the  gravity  of  one  who,  while 
determined  to  hope  on,  nevertheless  feels  that  one  by 
one  the  evidences  which  warrant  hope  are  failing  him, 
and  that  he  will  soon  be  standing  in  the  presence  of 
an  overwhelming  calamity ;  while  the  countenance  of 
the  Lad,  as  he  came  and  went  on  his  hurried  errands, 
as  directed  by  the  Trapper,  who,  naturally  from  his 
age  and  experience  had  assumed  the  management  of 
the  case,  showed  the  agitation  of  one  through  whose 
dull  senses  the  sharp  edge  of  a  dreadful  fear  was 
slowly  but  surely  making  its  way. 

"  Lad,"  said  the  Trapper,  in  a  voice   so  hollow  and 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  181 

solemn  that  the  one  he  addressed  started,  while  his 
hand  that  was  holding  a  cup  of  w^arming  water  over 
the  fire,  shook  and  trembled ;  "  lad,  I  fear  that  the 
boy  be  goin',  and  that  you  and  me  will  be  here  with 
the  dead  afore  the  shadows  of  the  mornin'  be  short- 
ened." 

"  John  Norton,"  said  the  Lad,  "  God  won't  let 
Henry  die  if  we  ask  him  not  to ;  for  the  Bible  says : 
'  Ask,  -  and  -  it  -  shall  -  be  -  given  :  seek,  -  and  -  ye  - 
shall  -  find  :  knock,  -  and  -  it  -  shall  -  be  -  opened  ;  and 
if  you  say  so,  1  will  go  back  of  the  lodge  and  ask  Him 
to  make  Henry  live.  I  know  I'm  not  wise  and  don't 
know  much,  and  I  suppose  a  great  many  folks  would 
laugh  at  me  if  I  should  try  to  pray,  but  I  know  what  I 
want  God  to  do  to  Henry,  and  I  guess  he  can  under- 
stand me,  even  if  I  do  spell  out  the  words,  and  get 
stuck  sometimes  on  the  big  ones.  Shall  I  go  and  try, 
John  Norton  ?" 

"  Yis,  yis,  lad,"  replied  the  Trapper,  while  his 
voice  shook,  and  the  great  tears  came  into  his  eyes  and 
rolled  down  his  weather-beaten  cheek,  "  pass  me  the 
cup  with  the  brandy  in  it,  and  then  do  ye  go  back  of 
the  lodge  and  tell  the  Lord  the  best  ye  can  of  yer 
troubles,  and  ask  him  to  give  us  a  lift  in  our  endiv- 
ors ;  and  put  the  case  before  Him  as  strong  as  ye 
can,  lad,  and  don't  forgit  to  spell  in  all  the  Scriptur' 
ye  remember,  especially  them  varses  where  he  has 
promised  to  help  the  children  of  'arth  when  peril  be 
nigh.  And  while  ye  pray  I  will  keep  rubbin'  and 
pourin'  the  hot  drink  into  him,  and  it  may  be,  betwixt 


182  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

US  both,  with  the  help  o£  the  Lord,  and  the  drink,  and 
the  rubbin',  we'll  fetch  Henry  back  to  the  land  o'  the 
iivni . 

The  Lad  did  as  the  Old  Trapper  had  directed.  He 
poured  the  last  drop  of  brandy  in  the  flask  into  the 
heated  water,  passed  the  cup  to  the  old  man,  and  then, 
with  a  face  to  Avliich  absolute  trust  and  undoubted 
hope  lent  illumination,  he  retired  behind  the  lodge, 
and  kneeling  down  on  the  stem-matted  sod,  he  linked 
his  awkward  fingers  together,  and  lifting  his  guileless 
face  upward,  he  closed  his  eyes,  and  with  many  a 
stammer,  but  with  directness  of  entreaty  and  earnest- 
ness of  faith  which  kept  his  si)eech  straight  to  the  line 
of  his  wish,  prayed  :  — 

"  Father  -  in  -  heaven,  -  mother  -  tokl  -  me  -  to  -  al- 
ways -  call  -  you  -  Father,  -  I  -  want  -  you  -  to  -  hear  - 
me  -  while  -  I  -  tell  -  you  -  what  -  I  -  want.  Henry  - 
is  -  dying  -  and  -  Ave  -  both  -  love  -  Henry,  -  and  -  you  - 
can  -  save  -  him  -  as  -  well  -  as  -  not,  -  for  -  you  -  are  - 
able  -  to  -  do  -  anything.  The  -  Saviour  -  told  -  us  - 
that  -  whatsoever  -  ye  -  ask  -  of  -  the  -  Father  -  in  -  my 

-  name  -  that  -  will  -  he  -  do  -  unto  -  you.  I  -  and  - 
John  -  Norton  -  ask  -  you  -  to  -  bring  -  Henry  -  back  - 
to  -  life,  -  noAV,  -  right  -  off.  It  -  is  -  written,  - 
according  -  to  -  thy  -  faith  -  be  -  it  -  unto  -  you  -  and  - 
I  -  have  -  faith,  -  I  -  don't  -  doubt  -  a  -  bit,  -  I  -  know  - 
you  -  will  -  bring  -  Henry  -  to.      0  -  Lord,  -  thou  -  hast 

-  been  -  our  -  dwelling  -  place  -  in  -  all  -  generations. 
Thou  -  art  -  a  -  present  -  help  -  in  -  times  -  of  -  trouble. 
Establish  -thou  -  the  -  works  °  of  -  our  -  hands,  -  estab- 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  183 

lisli  -  tliou  -  it.  Help,  -  Lord,  -  for  -  our  -  strength  - 
faileth.  Deliver  -  us  -  from  -  evil  -  and  -  thine  -  shall  - 
be  -  the  -  glory  -  forever.  " 

The  Lad  had  got  so  far,  and  as  he  had  gone  on  in 
his  simple,  laborious,  but  accurate  and  direct  Avav  of 
petition,  his  face  had  changed  by  reason  of  a  glow, 
and  sweet,  fine  light,  that  had  come  into  it  and 
spread  in  softest  radiance  over  his  upturned  coun- 
tenance until  his  poor,  simple  face  actually  shone 
as  those  of  old  who  talked  with  God.  The  Spirit 
which  is  not  of  man,  and  which  finds  its  home  in 
the  humble  breast  and  can  give  wisdom  to  the  feeble 
minded,  had  entered  and  filled  his  soul  with  its  own 
fine  fervors  ;  and  to  what  passion  of  entreaty  it  might 
have  lifted  him  can  be  known  only  to  Him  who  knows 
to  the  full  the  exalted  and  sublime  energfies  which  out 
of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  have  perfected 
praise  ;  and  at  this  point  the  voice  of  the  Trapper 
interrupted  him. 

"  Lad,  lad,  hold  on  and  come  here !  The  Lord 
has  heerd  ye,  for  the  blood  be  sartinly  stirrin'  and 
the  sperit  of  the  boy  has  come  back  to  the  body, 
and  life  be  movin'  in  his  members.  Hurry,  lad,  and 
see  the  answer  to  yer  prayer.  Be  quick,  or  the  Lord 
will  be   here   ahead   of   ye." 

The  w^ords  were  barely  out  of  the  Trapper's  mouth 
before  the  Lad,  with  the  beautiful  shining  in  his  face, 
was  kneelino-  at  the  feet  of  Herbert  and  o-azino-  with 
steady  yet  glowing  eyes  into  the  pale  countenance,  into 
which  the  slightest  possible  flush  had  already  come. 


184  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

Thus  Herb~^'t,  with  the  Trapper  still  holding  with 
supporting  hands  his  head,  with  the  Lad  kneeling 
at  his  feet  and  the  hounds  standing  on  either  side 
of  him  in  grave  attention,  lay,  while  the  warmth  of 
renewed  life  grew  within  his  breast  and  sent  its 
reviving  fervor  through  the  chilled  currents  of  his 
veins. 

In  a  moment  a  quiver  ran  through  his  frame, 
his  chest  rose  to  a  full  inspiration,  his  eyes  slowly 
opened,  and  fixing  them  first  on  the  Lad,  and  then 
on  the  face  of  the  Trapper,  his  lips  moved  slightly, 
and  he  said  in  a  tone  barely  above  a  whisper  :  — 

"John  Norton,  lohere  am  /.^  " 

'^  In  the  land  of  the  livin',  boy,  in  the  land  of 
the  livin',  praise  God  !  "  responded  the  Trapper.  ''  In 
the  land  of  the  livin'  and  here  on  Tomahawk  P'int, 
with  the  lad  at  yer  feet  and  the  pups  on  either 
side,  and  myself  at  yer  head ;  and  now  take  a 
swallew  more  of  the  drink  and  then  w^e'll  tuck  ye 
away  in  the  blankets  and  pile  the  hot  stuns  round 
ye,  for  ye  have  had  an  onmarciful  soakin',  and  been 
in  a  scrimmasre  which  taxed  ye  like  a  clinch  with  a 
Huron,  and  ye  need  warmth  and  rest,  for  sleep 
and  heat  is  the  best  doctor  in  the  world  to  one 
who  has  been  in  a  tussle  and  come  out  weak  and 
sore  as  ye  be.  I  warrant  ye  will  be  frisky  as 
a  young  pup  arter  ye  have  had  a  good,  long  sleep. 

It  was  past  midday  when  Herbert  awoke,  and  roll- 
inof    himself  out    of    the    blankets    in    which    he   was 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIBX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  185 

swathed  from  head  to  foot,  and  shoving  aside  several 
of  the  heated  stones  which  had  been  placed  in  a  row 
on  either  side  of  his  body,  rose  to  a  sitting  posture, 
and  looked  about  him  as  a  man  called  suddenly  out 
of  death.  His  sleep  had  been  such  as  the  strong 
and  healthy  experience  after  complete  exhaustion  — 
an  oblivious  slumber,  which  had  blotted  so  many 
hours  from  his  life,  —  a  chasm  stretched  across  the 
plain  of  consciousness,  deep  and  wide,  whose  either 
side  was  unconnected  with  the  other  by  even  the  fila- 
ment of  a  dream.  On  the  other  side  of  the  fire,  some 
distance  away,  the  Trapper  and  the  Lad  were  seated 
talking  in  subdued  tones  and  casting  an  occasional 
glance  toward  the  spot  Avhere  their  comrade  was  slum- 
bering. The  hounds  lay  stretched  side  by  side  in  the 
sound  sleep  of  dogs  resting  after  a  race.  The  three 
rifles  were  leaning  against  a  small  pole  a  few  feet  from 
the  fire  in  such  a  position  that  the  heat  might  best 
penetrate  the  barrels.  In  a  moment  Herbert  took  in 
the  position  of  things  and  with  a  light  laugh  said :  — 
"  You  didn't  mean  to  bake  me,  did  you,  friends  ?  " 
"  Not  egsactly,"  returned  the  Trapper,  ''  but  we  did 
mean  to  heat  ye  up  pritty  well,  Henry ;  leastwise,  we 
sartinly  meant  to  dry  ye  out  and  season  ye  a  bit,  for 
ye  was  mighty  well  soaked,  I  tell  ye,  and  we  thought 
a  good  sweatin'  would  open  the  seams  and  let  the 
dampness  out  of  ye,  for  ye  was  eenamost  waterlogged 
when  the  lad  fished  ye  up  from  the  lake,  and  so  we 
fenced  ye  in  with  the  heated  stuns,  and  between  them 
and  the  fire  and  the  warmth  of  yer  body  the  blankets 


186  ADIRONDACK   TALES. 

have  been  smokin'  like  a  dishcloth  in  the  snn.     Now, 
boy,  how  do  ye  feel,  and  what  more  shall  we   do  for 

ye?" 

"  I  feel  first-rate,"  Herbert  replied,  "  save  that  my 
chest  smarts  as  if  a  hot  gridiron  Avas  tied  across  it, 
and  my  right  hand  here  is  puffed  up  like  a  toad-stool. 
Have  you  got  the  buck  from  the  water,  and  Avliere  is 
my  rifle?  " 

"  The  buck  is  in  the  boat,  and  he's  a  big  un  too, 
and  there  is  yer  rifle,  clean  and  dry  from  muzzle  to 
breech-pin,  ready  for  the  powder  ;  for  I  said  to  the 
lad  that  I  knowed  the  fust  thing  ye  would  ax  us 
about  would  be  the  leetle  gun,  for  I  know  yer  love  for 
the  piece,  and  it  desarves  all  the  care  ye  give  it,  for 
two  truer  barrels  was  never  spliced  together.  My  ears 
could  tell  the  crack  of  it  among  a  thousand.  And  now 
what  shall  we  do,  for  ye  be  captain  of  this  squad,  and 
me  and  the  lad  wait  for  yer  orders  ?  " 

"  I  think,"  Herbert  replied,  "  you  had  better  skin 
the  buck,  and  save  his  hide  and  head,  but  the  body 
burn  or  bury,  for  I  never  wish  to  see  it,  much  less 
taste  a  morsel  of  it.  Then  cook  us  a  rousino;  dinner, 
for  I  am  as  hungry  as  a  shark;  and  after  we  have 
eaten  our  fill,  I  propose  that  you  fix  me  uj)  some  kind 
of  a  bed  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and  we  will  go  on 
toward  the  Saranacs,  for  day  after  to-morrow  is  the 
boat-race,  and  although  I  don't  think,  by  the  way  I 
feel,  that  I  shall  pull  an  oar  in  a  month,  yet  you  and 
the  lad  can  enter,  and  I  can  see  the  fun  as  an  out- 
sider." 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  187 

'^  I  think  ye  talk  like  a  gineral,"  said  the  Trapper, 
as  Herhert  ended.  '^  I  had  sot  my  heart  on  seeing 
you  and  the  lad  pull  agin  those  Saranacers,  hut  ye  he 
in  no  condition  to  handle  the  ash,  for  sartin,  but  the 
iiid  is,  and  he  can  larn  'em  a  lesson  they  won't  for- 
git,  or  I'm  mistaken,  and  ef  I  can  find  a  good  boat  — 
though  my  gifts  latterly  lie  more  in  the  direction  of  the 
paddle  than  the  rowlocks,  —  yet,  ef  the  lad  won't  pull 
onless  I  do  —  and  he  says  he  won't  —  I  will  try  the 
boastin'  chaps  a  lick,  and  ef  I  can  only  get  the  kink 
of  the  lad's  swing,  and  the  length  of  his  sweep,  I  will 
show  'em  what  an  old  man  can  do,  who  boated  in 
these  waters  afore  their  fathers  was  born."  So  saying, 
the  Trapper,  with  the  Lad,  rose  from  the  log,  and 
addressed  himself  to  the  preparation  of  the  meal. 

The  sun  had  passed  the  meridian  when  the  boat, 
with  the  Lad  at  the  oars,  the  Trapper  at  the  paddle, 
and  Herbert  lyino-  at  leno^th  on  a  soft  couch  of  balsam 
and  cedar  boughs,  with  the  two  hounds  at  his  feet, 
shoved  out  from  Tomahawk  Point,  and  started  down 
the  lake.  It  was  such  a  day  as  can  be  seen  nowhere 
in  the  world  save  amid  this  forest  of  the  North,  and 
from  no  point  of  view  to  such  advantage  as  from  a 
boat  as  it  glides  easily  along  on  its  course  through  the 
middle  of  one  of  its  larger  lakes. 

The  water  Avas  as  smooth  as  if  no  wave  had  ever 
rolled  across  its  tranquil  surface,  save  Avhere  a  loon  in 
diving,  or,  in  rising  from  his  dive,  sent  from  himself, 
as  the  hving  centre,  an  undulating  circumference  out- 
ward.       On    either    side     the     shores    lay    in    deep 


188  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

repose,  as  if  the  very  trees  were  sleeping'  in  delicious 
trance.  Over  them  the  mellow  haze  of  autumn  was 
spread  wide-cast  as  the  peace  of  heaven.  Above,  the 
mountains  rose,  with  their  peaks  cutting  the  cooler 
air,  bathed  in  the  blue  atmosphere.  The  islands 
looked,  from  the  distance,  as  if  they  were  floating  on 
the  water  —  hu^e  rafts  of  invisible  timber  freiohted 
with  mossrcovered  rocks,  evergreen  shrubbery,  and 
near  their  centres  with  great  pines.  Around  the 
edges  of  several,  the  white  birches,  with  their  yellow 
leaves,  stood  out  in  bold  relief  against  the  surrounding- 
green.  The  air  was  mellow  and  soft,  and  scented 
with  the  odors  of  ripened  leaves  and  dying  grasses, 
while  now  and  then  the  quickened  nostril  caught  the 
smell  of  odorous  smoke  blown  from  some  distant 
camp-fire.  Overhead,  the  white  gulls  wheeled  in 
snowy  circles  lazily.  In  the  upper  sky  the  falcons 
soared  on  even  wing.  And  now  and  then,  higher  yet, 
the  watchful  eye  would  catch  the  sight  of  darker  and 
lengthier  pinions,  and  follow  the  majestic  movement 
of  the  bald  eagle,  as,  on  stately  and  motionless  vans, 
he  swung"  around  in  his  aerial  circles. 

Throuoh  such  an  enchantin(r  scene,  and  as  the 
livino\  watchful  centre  of  it,  our  three  friends  moved 
along,  the  Lad  pulling  a  long,  easy  stroke,  and  the 
Trapper  keeping  time  with  his  paddle.  They  had 
proceeded  on  their  course  a  full  mile  before  either 
spoke  a  word,  and  then  the  Old  Trapper  in  a  low  tone 
said  :  — 

"  Many  be  the  seasons  I  have  passed  in  the  woods 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  189 

sence  I  struck  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Horicon,  more 
than  threescore  year  agone,  and  many  be  the  men  I 
have  seed  fall  by  my  side,  and  many  be  the  narrer 
escapes  I  have  had  from  death  by  bullit  and  water 
both,  but  I  tell  ye,  Henry^  I  never  seed  a  man  deliv- 
ered from  greater  peril  than  ye  was  in  this  morn, 
and  the  lad's  rowin'  and  divin'  saved  ye  for  sartin, 
onless,  as  it  seems  reasonable  to  do,  ye  «et  a  share 
down  to  his  prayin',  for  arter  he  had  fished  ye  from 
the  lake  yer  sperit  was  as  nigh  gone  as  it  could  be  and 
not  be  act'ally  in  the  jedgment.  Yis,  the  lad  sartinly 
saved  ye." 

"1  hope  I  did  help,"  said  the  Lad,  ^' for  it  would 
be  awful  to  have  Henry  drown  with  both  of  us  in 
sight.  I  don't  know  what  we  could  have  done  had 
he  died;  but  I  don't  think  my  rowing  or  diving 
would  have  done  any  good  had  it  not  been  for  your 
shooting  the  buck,  John  Norton ;  I  think  your  shoot- 
ing saved  Henry,  and  I  don't  see  how  you  could 
have  shot  so  well.  I  am  sure  mv  hand  would  have 
shook  dreadfully." 

"The  sarcumstances  was  agin  me,  for  sartin,  lad," 
responded  the  Trapper,  "  for  the  distance  was  too  fur 
for  close  work,  and  the  buck  was  mighty  Hvely, 
but  the  bullit  was  a  good  one  and  the  air  so  clear 
that  I  could  act'ally  see  the  curl  in  the  cretur's  hair 
at  the  roots  of  the  horns  Wien  I  sot  my  eye  into  the 
sights ;  and  Henry,  weak  as  he  was,  knowed  enough 
to  lop  his  head  aside  a  leetle  to  make  a  path  for  the 
lead,  and  the   Lord  used  my  gifts,  and  the   habit  of 


190  ABIBONDACK    TALES. 

sixty  year  of  shootiii'  in  cloud  and  shine,  in  deadly 
scrimmage,  and  playful  practice  when  the  horn  was 
full  and  lead  plenty,  to  furder  His  purposes  of  marcy, 
jest  as  He  used  my  rubbin'  and  the  brandy  to  help 
the  lad  out  in  his  prayin'  and  Scriptur'  sayin'  back 
of  the  lodge." 

"  Don't  you  believe,"  interrupted  the  Lad  —  "  Don't 
you  believe,  John  Norton,  that  God  can  do  anything 
He  wants  to  wdthout  our  helping  Him  a  bit  ?  " 

"  Sartinly,  lad,  sartinly,  ef  He  only  had  a  mind 
to,  for  I  have  seed  enough  of  His  power  w^hen  He 
put  out  His  strength  amid  the  scenes  of  natur'  to 
conceit  He  can  do  anything.  For  I  have  seed  the 
wind  cut  a  sw^atli  through  the  woods  as  a  man  in 
the  settlements  cuts  a  path  tlirough  the  grass  with 
his  scythe ;  and  I  have  seed  the  frost  pry  up  acres  of 
rocks  and  sile  w^ith  the  trees  all  standin'  in  them 
and  slide  'em  down  a  mountain  as  ef  they  was  on 
greased  skids ;  and  I  heerd  a  man,  who  was  a  furriner, 
say  once,  that  in  his  country  at  times  the  very  'arth 
under  one's  feet  got  onsteady  and  shook  like  a  half- 
breed  wdth  the  ager,  ontil  a  man  couldn't  keep  his 
legs ;  but  I  have  my  doubts  on  that  p'int,  and  I  told 
him  so  to  his  face,  for  it  don't  seem  reasonable  that 
the  'arth,  wdiich  hasn't  any  bowels  or  narves,  should 
have  any  sech  kind  of  spasms,  or  git  colicky  like. 
Still,  ef  the  Lord  raaly  set  about  it  in  'arnest  it  may 
be  He  could  make  the  very  'arth  quiver  like  a  human 
bein'  in  pain  ;  but  the  'arth  is  a  big  thing,  and  can't 
be  handled  round  careless  by  anybody,  as  I  conceit," 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  191 

"  But,"    again    interrupted    the    Lad,     "  don't    you 
think   that  God    can   do  anything  without  our   help- 


in 


g 


? 


"  Well,  no,  lad,  ef  ye  want  my  raal  idee  on  the 
matter,  I  don't,"  returned  the  Trapper.  "  Leastwise, 
He  seems  w^llin',  I  notice,  to  jine  works  with  His  ereturs, 
when  He  has  any  special  job  on  hand,  that  needs  raal 
'arnest  and  lively  work  to  git  it  done  in  time  to  answer 
His  parpose.  Now,  Henry's  scrimmage  with  the  buck 
is  a  case  in  p'int.  For  Henry  had  sartinly  got  into  a 
pretty  tight  fix,  ef  I  am  any  jedge,  and  e£  he  was  to 
be  saved  it  had  got  to  be  done  in  a  jedicious  and 
lively  manner.  So  the  Lord  jined  w^orks  with  ye  and 
yer  gifts,  and  ye  sartinly  did  yer  full  share,  for  ye 
pulled  an  amazin'  stroke ;  and  how  ye  got  yer  feet  into 
the  air  so  quick,  considerin'  the  length  of  yer  legs,  is 
wonderful,  and  can  be  accounted  for  only  on  the 
ground  that  divin'  is  one  of  yer  gifts  —  and  ye  yerself 
has  said  that  the  bullit  I  druv  in  under  the  buck's 
horns  helped  matters  considerably." 

"But,  but,"  exclaimed  the  Lad,  feeling  he  was 
beinof"  outreasoned,  but  none  the  less  steadfast  in  his 
simple  faith,  "  don't  you  think  the  prayer  did  any 
good?" 

"  Yis,  sartinly,  lad,"  promptly  replied  the  Trapper, 
"  I  think  ye  be  gifted  in  that  way,  and  that  the  Lord 
heerd  ye,  but,"  continued  the  old  man,  as  if  he  feared 
he  had  made  a  fatal  concession,  and  in  common  with 
all  theologians  was  inclined  to  maintain  his  point, 
right  or  wrong,  —  "but  ye  must  remember  that  yer 


192  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

prayer  was  well  mixed  in  with  my  rubbin',  not  to 
speak  of  the  stimulant  and  hot  stuns.  No,  no,  lad, 
the  Lord  couldn't  have  got  along  without  yer  pullin' 
and  divin',  and  the  buUit  and  the  rubbin',  anyhow. 
Could  He,  Henry?" 

The  only  reply  Herbert  made  was  to  move  his  hand 
slightly  under  his  cheek  ;  for,  lulled  by  the  easy  dip 
of  the  oars  as  they  came  and  went  in  their  measured 
stroke,  and  perhaps  by  the  murmur  of  the  low,  ear- 
nest voices  above  him,  yielding  to  some  subtle  but 
unknown  law  of  reception  and  impartment  by  which 
the  slumberous  peace  of  surrounding  nature  entered 
into  and  possessed  his  senses,  the  young  man  had 
sunk  into  a  restful  sleep. 

And  thus,  past  the  anchored  islands,  with  their 
w^alled  rocks ;  past  the  mouth  of  sleeping  bays ;  past 
beaches  of  golden  sand  ;  through  the  yellow  autumnal 
haze,  the  boat  moved  on,  until  it  entered  the  easy 
flowing  stream  of  the  beautiful  Racquette,  then  with 
all  its  loveliness  unmarred  by  the  devastating  hand  of 
human  selfishness.  Thence  upward  against  the  easy 
current  the  boat  sailed  on.  Up  long  stretches  of  level 
water,  whose  surface  was  strewn  thick  with  leaves 
that  flamed  with  color ;  while,  underneath,  the  depths 
reflected  the  fiery  hues  of  the  overhanging  maples,  — 
up  over  the  glancing  rifts  whose  first  noisy  ripples 
awoke  the  sleeper,  and  sailing  in  easy  curve  around 
the  great  bends  the  boat  went  forward  on  its  course, 
until,  as  the  shadows  began  to  darken  on  wood  and 
stream,  it  reached  a  sj)ot  where  the  pines  came  to  the 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  RXOW  MUCH.        '      193 

water's  edge,  and  stood  like  great  sentinels,  with  arms 
at  rest  along  the  bank,  as  if  within  their  dark  recesses 
the  Genii  o£  the  woods  had  their  pine-guarded  home. 
Here  the  three  men  landed,  and  with  rapid  movements 
made  ready  for  the  night  whose  dark  wings  were  fast 
drawing  their  gloom-bringing  flight  between  the  earth 
and  sky. 


CHAPTER    VI 


THE    OVATION. 


«'  His  life  was  gentle,  and  the  elements 
So  mixed  in  him,  that  Nature  niiglit  stand  up 
And  say  to  all  the  world,  This  was  a  man." 

—  Shakespeare. 

Evening  in  the  woods,  on  a  still  September  night. 
In  front,  a  river,  which  sends  its  current  deep  and 
dark,  with  steady  pressure,  against  the  base  of  a  hill, 
as  if  it  would  undermine  its  broad  foundation  and 
float  it  off.  A  beach  of  sand  where  the  bend  in  the 
bank  curves  sharpest.  Ten  feet  above,  a  narrow,  level 
stretch  of  land  —  a  natural  terrace  —  with  great  pines 
growing  thereon,  whose  trunks  rise  clean  of  limbs, 
and  straight  as  the  masts  of  a  ship,  full  eighty  feet, 
then  tuft  themselves  in  heaviest  foliage.  From  the 
inner  edge  of  the  level  space  the  hill  lifts,  steep  and 
far,  a  thousand  feet ;  but  even  to  the  ridge  the  pines 
grow  thick  and  strong.  On  the  level  bank  a  camp-fire 
burning  brightly,  and  with  an  energy  that  lifts  the 
flame,  in  a  fiery  pillar,  ten  feet  upward.  The  light 
and  shade  play  ghostly  hide-and-seek  amid  the  distant 
trees  and  neighboring  thickets.  Above  the  river, 
through  the  opening  in  the  trees  made  by  its  width 
from  shore  to  shore,  a  space  of  sky,  dusky  and  dim, 
in  which  large  stars  burn  and  glow  as  diamonds  set  in 


THE  ^lAN  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  195 

jet  against  a  swarthy  forehead.  Around  the  fire,  our 
three  friends,  engaged  in  conversation,  their  voices 
pitched  to  a  low  key,  but  animated  and  earnest  in 
tone. 

"  I  tell  ye,  lad,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  ye  oughter 
pull  without  me  ;  rowin'  comes  nateral  to  ye,  and  yer 
stroke  is  sartinly  wonderful.  I  never  seed  anything 
like  it.  Ye  can  walk  a  boat  alono^  for  lialf  a  mile 
quicker  than  any  other  man  livin',  ef  I  am  any  jedge, 
but  ye  don't  look  to  me  as  ef  ye  was  put  together  for 
a  long  race,  and  I  conceit  a  four-mile  stretch  would 
blow  ye,  for  ye  be  mighty  light  in  the  middle,  and  yer 
chest  be  too  thin  by  half.  Ef  ye  had  the  shoulders  of 
Henry,  here,  I  would  wager  my  last  horn  of  powder, 
and  my  bullit-mould  into  the  bargain,  that  ye  could 
beat  'em  at  any  distance ;  for  I  have  seed  Henry  fetch 
his  boat,  loaded  deep  at  that,  for  three  mile  agin  a 
wind  that  whitened  the  lake  from  shore  to  shore,  and 
never  weaken  on  a  stroke.  What  do  ye  say,  —  lad, 
can  ye  pull  a  long  course  ef  the  rogues  set  us 
one  c 

"  I  don't  want  to  pull  at  all,  John  Norton,  nor  go 
nigh  them,  for  I  know  they  wdll  laugh  at  me  and  call 
me  names,  because  I  ain't  handsome  and  smart.  The 
last  time  I  went  out  with  my  skins  they  bothered  me 
dreadfully  about  my  legs  and  hands,  and  hadn't  it 
been  for  Sport,  I  don't  know  but  they  would  have 
hurt  me  ;  but  if  they  touched  me  even  so  much  as 
with  a  fish-pole,  Sport  showed  his  teeth  at  them.  He 
bit  one  of  them  badly  because  he  tried  to  push  me 


196  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

into  the  water.  It  hurts  me  to  be  laughed  at,  and 
called  names,  and  besides  —  "     • 

"  Lad,"  interrupted  the  Trapper,  "  ye  be  with  John 
Norton  this  trip,  and  though  I  hope  I  can  take  a  joke 
in  good  natur',  as  a  reasonable  man  should,  and  hold 
that  the  bullit  and  knife  should  be  used  keerfully, 
and  only  agin  inimies ;  yit,  a  noisy  mouth  and  a  loose 
tongue  need  to  be  larnt  manners  occasionally,  and  ef 
they  start  any  of  their  foolishness  at  ye  there'll  be  a 
scrimmage,  for  sartin,  that  they  won't  forgit  for  the 
tarm  of  their  nateral  lives,  even  ef  the  markin's  of  the 
knife  has  to  be  put  on  to  some  of  'em.  No,  lad,  ye 
ain't  goin'  to  be  imposed  on  this  trip,  I  can  tell  ye. 
Come,  Henry,  what  do  ye  think,  for  yer  jedgment  be 
good  on  sech  a  p'int,  —  Can  a  man,  with  the  build  of 
the  lad,  pull  a  long  course?" 

"I  don't  think  his  build,  as  you  call  it,"  re- 
sponded Herbert,  "  is  especially  against  his  chances. 
It  is  not  bulk  of  frame,  but  sinews,  and  stroke, 
and  pluck  that  win  in  a  long  race ;  and,  as  you 
say,  the  lad  is  a  natural  oarsman  and  his  stroke  is 
simply  perfect !  You  see,  it's  a  saving  stroke,  as  we 
call  it,  for  he  doesn't  waste  an  ounce  of  strength 
in  pulling  it,  and  however  long  and  sharp  it  is,  I 
notice  he  pulls  it  even  from  dip  to  finish,  and  his 
boat  moves  on  a  level  keel  and  cuts  the  water  like 
a  knife.  I  dare  say  there  will  be  several  fine  oars- 
men in  the  race,  but  I  am  confident  the  lad  can 
beat  them,  if  he  will  only  try.  And  moreover,  I 
doubt  if  there  will  be  a  man  of  them,  John  Norton, 


THE   MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  197 

who  can  beat  you,  either,  especially  if  the  course 
is  a  long  one ;  for  though  you  don't  think  much  of 
the  oars,  yet  you  pull  a  very  strong  stroke  indeed, 
and  are  cool,  and  that  counts  in  such  matters  ;  for 
a  level  head  and  a  stout  heart  win  many  a  race, 
and  especially  wdien  the  course  is  long  and  the  race 
a  hot  one.  I  think,  therefore,  the  lad  is  right, 
when  he  says  he  w^on't  pull  unless  you  do ;  for  I 
know  a  man  pulls  better  wdth  a  friend  by  his  side, 
especially  if  he  is  timid  and  is  in  a  strange  and 
perhaps  a  hostile  crowd ;  and  I  think  a  word  from 
you  would  be  w^orth  the  race  to  him  if  the  finish 
should  be  close  and  the  shores  noisy.  You  under- 
stand, John  Norton.  " 

"  Yis,  yis,  Henry ;  "  returned  the  Trapper,  while 
a  glance  of  mutual  intelligence  passed  between  them ; 
"yis,  I  understand  wdiat  ye  mean,  and  yer  idees  be 
sound,  and  jedgmatically  spoken,  too,  for  in  my 
young  days  I  used  the  oar  myself,  and  pulled  in 
a  good  many  races,  and  never  pulled  in  a  race  I 
didn't  win,  either.  But  the  paddle  is  the  raal  in- 
strument for  the  hunter  and  scout,  and  my  gifts 
sartinly  lie  that  way ;  but  your  W'Ords  has  reason  in 
'em,"  said  the  old  man,  as  he  looked  into  the  face 
of  the  Lad,  the  features  of  w  hicli  were  entirely  lacking 
in  shrewdness  and  the  positiveness  of  a  resolute  will. 
"  Yis,  your  words  sartinly  has  reason  in  'em,  and  ef  ye 
can  find  a  boat  for  me  with  rowlocks  and  oars  that 
will  hold,  I'll  keep  the  lad  company.  —  Yis,  yis, 
Henry,  I  heerd  'em  afore  they  reached  the  bend  ;  it's 


198  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

some  boat  comin'  up  the  river.  We'll  hear  their 
hail  in  a  minit.  —  I'll  keep  the  lad  company,  I  say, 
and  I'll  do  the  best  to  beat  him,  too." 

"  Halloo,  the  camp  there  !  "  shouted  a  voice  from 
the  middle   of  the  river. 

"  Halloo  it  is,"  returned  the  Trapper,  without  mov- 
ing an  inch  from  his  recumbent  posture,  or  scarcely 
lifting"  his  eyes.  "  What  do  ye  want,  and  what  can 
we  do  for  ye?  " 

For  a  minute  or  more  there  was  no  rej^ly  to  the 
question  of  the  Trapper,  but  a  confused  murmur  of 
several  voices  in  quick  and  whispered  conversation, 
and  the  noise  as  of  several  boats  huddlinyi:  toofether 
was  audible  to  those  on  the  bank,  and  then  an  in- 
terrogation came  out  of  the  darkness  :  — 

"  Ain't  you  John  Norton,  the  Trapper  ?  " 

"  Well,  it  may  be  I  am,  and  it  may  be  I  ain't ; 
but  the  chances  favor  the  idee  that  I  be  John  Norton," 
returned  the  Trapper,  "  leastwise  the  signs  p'int  in 
that  direction ;  and  now  let  me  ax  you,  who  be  ye 
that  travel  at  night  —  and  a  chilly  one  at  that,  — 
and  where  be  ye  goin'  as  ef  the  day  wasn't  long 
enough  for  yer  business?  " 

"  We  are  bound  for  the  Saranacs,"  replied  the 
voice,  ""  to  see  the  boat-race,  and  it  may  be  take  a 
hand  in  it  ourselves.  Shall  you  be  there  your- 
self ?  " 

"  Yis,  I  shall  be  there  ;  "  returned  the  Trapper,  "  and 
ye  may  tell  'em  so ;  and  ye  may  say  that  I  mean  to 
pull  myself,  ef  they  don't  bar  a  man  because  he  ain't 


THE  MAX  WHO  DTDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  199 

pulled  a  race  for  forty  year,  and  has  as  many  white 
hah's  as  black  in  his  scalp." 

''  All  right,  John  Norton,  we'll  tell  them  so  ;  but 
you'll  be  wiped  out,  sure ;  for  there's  to  be  some  New 
York  perfessionals  there,  they  say,  and  a  mighty  slim 
chance  any  of  us  chaps  stand  besida  them,  I  reckon." 
And  with  this  discouraging  prediction  the  boat  started 
on  up  the  stream. 

Not  till  the  last  murmuring  sound  of  their  rather 
noisy  progress  died  away  did  the  Trapper  speak ;  then 
he  said  :  "  Ye  see,  Henry,  what's  in  the  wind.  There'll 
be  buzzin'  in  the  hive  when  they  hear  I  am  coming 
out  and  mean  to  pull,  too.  I  thought  I'd  poke  'em 
up  a  leetle,  anyhow,  and  I  warrant  I've  did  it ;  for 
there  be  some  old  men  livin'  yit  who  remember  the 
times  we  had  on  the  Horicon  waters  fifty  year  agone, 
and  they'll  tell  'em  what  John  Norton  was  at  the  ash 
afore  these  waters  was  knowed  by  'em  in  the  settle- 
ments. I  tell  ye,  Henry,  it  seems  foolish  for  a  man  of 
my  years  to  say  it,  but  ef  ye  can  find  a  boat  for  me 
that  suits  yer  jedgment,  I'll  have  a  lick  at  them  perfes- 
sionals, hit  or  miss.  It'll  be  an  etarnal  shame  ef  them 
city  boasters  beat  the  men  born  in  the  woods,  and  on 
their  own  waters,  too.  What  do  ye  think  of  it,  Henry ; 
is  there  a  chance  for  me  and  the  Lad  ?  " 

"  I  certainly  think  there  is  a  chance  for  you  both, 
John  Norton,"  replied  Herbert,  '^  and  a  good  one  too. 
In  the  first  place,  you  are  both  in  good  condition  and 
are  used  to  the  boats,  which  the  professionals  are  not, 
and    that's    in    your  favor.     Then    again,  a  four-mile 


200  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

course  is  a  long  one  to  pull  in  these  Adirondack  boats, 
and  wind  and  grit  and  sheer  strength  count  favorably 
against  any  extra  skill  the  professionals  may  have.  If 
the  lad  only  had  your  muscular  power  and  grit,  or 
you  had  his  stroke,  I  would  bet  my  last  dollar  on 
either  of  you." 

"  Ay,  ay,  Henry,  that's  jest  it.  Ye  have  sartinly 
struck  the  trail  right  eend  to,  and  gin  yer  opinion  like 
a  jedge  in  a  school-house.  I  tell  ye  what,  lad,  I  must 
git  yer  stroke.  Leastwise,  I'll  study  the  reason  of  it 
to-morrer  as  we  go  up,  ef  ye'll  put  in  a  lick  or  two 
occasionally.  And  ef  ye  see  the  perfessionals  beatin' 
me,  lad,  and  them  that  was  born  in  the  woods  about  to 
be  shamed  afore  the  men,  ay,  and  the  wimmhi  folks  too, 
and  I  give  ye  the  word,  wdll  ye  pull  accordin'  to  the 
gifts  that  the  Lord  has  given  ye,  boy  ?" 

"  I  don't  w^ant  to  pull  at  all,  John  Norton,"  re- 
sponded the  Lad,  '^  and  I  don't  know  how  I  shall 
feel,  for  I  never  pulled  a  race,  and  I  know  that 
they  will  laugh  at  me ;  but  I  won't  see  you  beat  by 
anybody,  and  I'll  pull  as  hard  as  I  can,  if  they 
seem  likely  to  do  it.  But  I  guess  you  can  beat  them, 
and  I  w^ould  rather  have  you  beat  than  tD  beat 
myself." 

"  No  doubt,  no  doubt,"  replied  the  Trapper,  in  a 
tone  that  plainly  showed  the  great  relief  he  felt  at 
the  promise  he  had  succeeded  in  getting  from  the 
Lad.  '^I  tell  ye,  Henry,  the  thing  be  settled.  The 
perfessionals  shan't  take  the  prize  out  of  the  woods, 
ef  the  Lad  and  me  can  help  it.     Come,  let's  to  bed. 


THE  MAX  WHO  DWX'T  KXOW  MUCH  201 

What  a  marcy  it  is  to  sleep  in  seeli  a  chamber  as 
this,  where  ye  can  breathe  all  the  air  ye  want  to 
without  robbing  anybody,  and  there's  no  danger  that 
the  roof  wdll  fall  in  onto  ye." 

So  saying,  the  Old  Trapper  stretched  himself  on 
the  ground  strewn  thick  with  fragrant  pine  stems, 
and,  with  a  small  bag  of  meal  for  his  pillow,  sank 
quickly  into  a  slumber  which  many  a  king  on  his 
soldier-guarded  couch  would  envy.  His  companions 
followed  his  example,  and  in  a  few  moments  the 
three  were  resting  in  soundest  sleep.  But  the  river 
still  flowed  on,  incapable  of  weariness.  The  stars 
still  burned  with  undiminished  fervor,  and  over  the 
sleepers'  heads  the  pines  continued  to  make  their 
soothing  plaint.  In  the  cities,  men  Avere  cursing 
and  fighting,  but  Nature,  strong  and  safe  in  her 
innocence,  rested  in  holy  peace. 

It  was  well  on  to  noon  of  the  next  day  when  our 
friends  entered  the  waters  of  the  LoAver  Saranac. 
The  Trapper  was  at  the  paddle  and  the  Lad  at  the 
oars,  and  the  long,  sharp  boat,  loaded  as  it  w\as, 
passed  through  the  w^ater  at  a  rate  few  boats  ever 
keep  for  any  distance. 

"  I  tell  ye,  lad,"  remarked  the  Trapper,  "  ye  had 
the  right  idee  of  a  boat  for  straight  runnin'  in  yer 
head  Avhen  ye  shaped  the  bottom  board  for  the  one 
we  be  in  ;  for  it  sartinly  gits  through  the  w^ater  in  a 
way  that's  surprisin'.  In  a  crooked  creek  it  must  be 
a  mighty  onreasonable  thing  to  handle,  and  I  conceit 
that  none  but  a  prayin'  man,  and   one  keerful   in  the 


202  ADIROXDACK  TALES. 

use  of  his  tongue,  could  manage  it  for  any  length 
of  time  and  not  git  'arnest  in  his  speech ;  but  for 
open  waters  and  a  straight  run  it's  parfection  itself. 
I'd  give  a  dozen  of  my  best  pelts  for  another  jest 
like  it  for  to-morrer." 

"  You  are  right,"  said  Herbert ;  it's  just  the  boat 
for  straightaway  work,  and  I  mean  to  get  one  as 
near  like  it  as  I  can  for  you  to  pull  in  to-morrow.  It 
looks  heavy,  and  most  would  pick  a  lighter  one ;  but 
a  long  boat  is  the  thing  for  a  long  race,  and  long 
oars,  too,  with  wide  blades,  if  one  has  power  and  grit 
enough  to  pull  them  strong.  Where  shall  we  stay 
to-night  —  at  tlie  hotel  ?  " 

"  The  Lord  forbid  !  "  exclaimed  the  Trapper.  "  It's 
nigh  on  fifty  year  sence  I've  slept  under  a  shingled 
roof  and  smothered  within  the  walls  of  men's  buildin', 
and  natur'  and  reason  be  both  agin  the  doin'  of  sech 
foolishness ;  for  there  be  good  camps  nigh  the  upper 
eend  of  the  Lake,  where  we  can  eat  and  sleep  in 
peace,  and  where  the  hound  and  the  Lad  can  have 
contentment ;  for  the  dog  be  a  knowin'  dog  and 
understands  his  rights,  for  his  blood  is  without  a 
cross  of  low  stuff  in  it,  and  he  can't  bear  the 
mongrels  and  half-breed  curs  of  the  settlements, 
nohow,  and  the  tramp  of  feet  and  the  buzz  of  voices 
distarbs  him  as  much  as  it  does  me.  And  a  man  who 
isn't  an  Indian  should  think  of  the  comfort  of  his 
dog  and  plan  for  his  happiness,  as  I  conceit.  Yis, 
we'll  go  into  camp,  and  arter  we  have  eaten  our  fill 
and  made  ready  for  the  night  we  will  go  down  to  the 


THE  MAy  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  203 

hive  and  hear  the  senseless  things  buzz  awhile.  May- 
hap I  shall  find  a  few  yit  livin'  who  have  slept  on 
the  trail  with  me  and  heerd  the  crack  of  my  piece 
in  a  scrimmage  when  powder  was  powder  and  every 
bullit  was  worth  its  weight  in  gold." 


It  was  well  on  toward  the  close  of  the  afternoon 
when  the  Lad's  boat,  containing  our  three  friends, 
came  out  from  behind  the  "  Three  Sisters  "  on  its  way 
toward  the  rendezvous.  At  the  hotel  all  was  expecta- 
tion. For  a  great  crowd  had  gathered  in  anticipation 
of  the  morrow's  races,  and  the  thought  that  they  were 
to  see  the  celebrated  Trapper  and  Scout  of  whom  they 
had  read  and  heard  so  much,  but  whom  they  had  never 
seen,  stirred  them  with  the  feeling  of  intense  curiosity. 
The  three  guides  that  had  hailed  the  camp  on  the 
Racquette  the  evening  before  had  brought  the  word 
that  "  Old  John  Norton  "  was  not  only  coming,  but 
that  he  was  o-oino'  to  enter  the  free-for-all  race,  and 
pull  against  the  professionals.  This  raised  the  excite- 
ment to  fever  heat,  and  the  feeling  became  intense. 
Indeed,  two  parties  had  already  sprung  up.  In  the 
crowd  were  several  ag^ed  men  who  remembered  the 
great  fame  which  the  Trapper  had  as  an  oarsman 
fifty  years  before,  when  they  and  he  were  young ; 
and,  to  interested  groups  during  the  day,  they  had 
been  narrating  the  stories  of  his  skill,  enormous 
strength,  and  unrivalled  agility,  exhibitions  of  which 
they,  with  their  own  eyes,  had  seen,  as  called  forth 
by  the  supreme  exigencies  of  deadly  conflicts  in  hand- 


204  ADIROXDACK   TALES. 

to-hancl  fights,  or  in  the  playful  but  manly  games  of 
peace.  And  the  conviction  of  these  old  men  —  some 
of  whom  had  not  only  been  overtaken  by  age,  but 
also  by  the  vicious  habits  of  civilized  life  —  was  well 
expressed  in  the  strong  assertion  of  one  of  their 
number,  who  closed  a  heated  verbal  contest  with  a 
gentleman  from  the  cities  with  "  I  tell  ye,  sir,  there 
is  not  a  man  on  God's  'arth  can  beat  John  Norton  at 
the  oars." 

On  the  other  hand  the  professionals  had  their  advo- 
cates. Fine,  spruce,  college  boys  ^' doing  the  woods" 
in  jaunty  straw  hats  with  broad  bands  of  blue  ribbon 
round  them,  and  twirling  little  rattan  canes  in  their 
dapper,  thin  fingers ;  English  tourists,  strong-built  and 
burly,  in  checked  suits  of  woollen  stuffs,  several  of 
whom,  affecting  the  heavy  sportsman's  style,  lugged 
about  their  double  English-made  rifles,  "  such  as 
Girard  used  in  the  jungles,  you  know,"  while  their 
cartridge  belts  sagged,  heavy  Avith  lead,  as  they 
tramped  back  and  forth  along  the  piazza  in  broad- 
soled,  broad-toed,  gaiter  boots,  with  spotless,  leggings 
reaching  from  ankle  to  knee  ;  quiet  city  gentlemen, 
lawvers,  bankers,  clero^vmen,  whose  knowledo-e  of  boat- 
ing  extended  no  farther  than  seeing  or  reading  a 
newspaper  account  of  the  annual  race  between  Yale 
and  Harvard  in  their  long,  pencil-like  shells.  These, 
with  here  and  there  a  single  exception,  all  discussed 
the  race  as  if  lying  between  three  professionals  that 
were  already  entered  to  pull.  Even  the  guides,  over- 
awed by  the  high-sounding  word,  "  professional,"  and 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  3IUCH.  205 

by  the  marvellous  stories  of  their  ability  at  the  oars 
which  were  passed  from  group  to  group,  Avere  intimi- 
dated to  such  an  extent  that  of  all  their  number, 
representing  as  it  did  nearly  every  boat  in  the  wilder- 
ness, two  brothers  alone  had  entered.  And  hence, 
although  their  sympathies  were  strongly  with  the 
Trapper,  they  readily  admitted  that  the  "profession- 
als "  Avould  win.  But  though  his  party  was  in  the 
minority  as  to  numbers,  its  spirit  was  self-asserting  in 
the  extreme,  and  not  a  few  sportsmen  and  guides,  who 
had  seen  him  pull  his  boat  against  a  wind  that 
scooped  the  water  into  the  air,  as  steadily  as  if  the 
lake  lay  level  to  his  stroke,  or  thrust  it  up  a  stretch 
of  rapids  where  the  water  quivered  with  the  swiftness 
of  its  descending  flight,  took  stock  in  his  chances 
and  endorsed  the  saying  of  the* old  chap  who  in  his 
excitement,  born  of  argument  or  liquor  —  perhaps  it 
would  not  be  kind  to  inquire  too  closely  which,  —  had 
declared  that  there  wasn't  "  a  man  on  God's  'arth 
could  beat  Old  John  Norton  at  the  oars." 

Thus  stood  the  feeling  and  the  crowd  when  the 
boat,  with  the  Lad  at  the  oars  and  the  Trapper  at  the 
paddle  and  Herbert  amidship,  came  out  from  behind 
the  "  Three  Sisters  "  into  plain  view  of  the  hundreds 
that  were  watching  for  their  appearance. 

Nothino;  could  excel  the  fineness  of  the  tribute 
which  the  crowd,  composed  of  several  hundreds,  were 
unconsciously  paying  to  the  fame  of  the  Old  Trapper ; 
for  as  the  boat  came  on  the  talking  ceased,  even  the 
giggling  of  a  knot  of  young  misses,  who   had  been 


206  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

flirting  with  sliameful  ostentation  with  a  couple  of 
underofraduates  from  Harvard,  was  cheeked  before 
they  were  aware  of  it,  by  the  sudden  silence  Avhicli 
had  fallen  on  the  densely  packed  throng  ;  and  amid  a 
stillness  more  impressive  by  far,  when  associated  with 
a  popular  assembly,  than  the  loudest  cheering,  the 
Lad's  boat  drew  on.  The  Lad  was  pulling  the  same 
nonchalant  stroke  as  was  his  custom,  his  head  lop23ed 
as  usual  on  one  side,  and  his  body  doubled  up  as  if 
shrinking  to  get  away  from  its  own  enormous  height 
and  ungainly  appearance.  But  the  professionals, 
who,  with  observant  eyes,  were  watching  the  approach, 
noted  that  the  oars  were  of  unusual  length,  that  the 
blades  were  nearly  twice  the  customary  width,  and 
that  they  entered  and  left  the  water  with  a  precision 
which  nothing  but  long  experience  can  give,  while  in 
their  recovery  they  passed  along  the  level  water  with 
an  evenness  which  bore  witness  that  the  wrists  that 
guided  their  return  were  educated  by  years  of  practice. 
As  the  boat  came  on  so  that  the  several  forms  could 
be  recognized,  one  of  them  drew  a  long  breath, 
nudged  his  companions,  and  whispered  :  — 

"  I'm  glad  it  isn't  the  Trapper  that's  handling  those 
oars." 

The  old  man  was  seated  in  the  stern  of  the  boat, 
and  using  his  paddle  with  an  unconscious  grace ;  but 
it  is  certain  that,  beyond  a  slight  sense  of  the 
ludicrous  at  the  peculiar  reception  that  he  and  his 
companions  were  meeting,  he  did  not  appropriate  the 
fineness  of  the  compliment  that  in  it  w\as  being  ren- 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  207 

dered  him.  For  in  his  own  eyes  he  seemed  but  an 
ordinary  person,  and  one  to  whom  belonged  the  least 
possible  amount  of  popular  applause.  He  was  bare- 
headed as  usual,  and  the  full  exposure  of  his  counte- 
nance and  forehead,  as  the  bright  sun  fell  on  him, 
made  it  possible  for  the  gazer's  eye  to  take  in  the 
noble  majesty  of  a  face  to  which  years  had  brought 
no  weakness,  and  unto  which  they  had  given  a  char- 
acterization and  dignity  truly  imposing. 

"  Ay,  ay,  the  bees  have  swarmed,  for  sartin,  this 
time,  Henry,  and  the  wdiole  hive  is  empty.  By  the 
Lord,  lad,  they  look  like  a  bunch  of  frightened 
Hurons  huddlin'  together  in  the  midst  of  a  sudden 
ambushment  afore  they  have  had  time  to  think  or  get 
to  shelter.  Hoot !  There's  more  colors  in  their  gar- 
ments than  the  squaw  of  a  chief  would  have  at  the 
feast  of  the  Succotash,  and  the  toggery  that  some  of 
them  chaps  has  on  would  make  a  moose  beller,  —  but 
why  be  they  so  'arnest-like  in  their  looks,  boy,  and 
what  be  the  sense  of  their  silence  !  " 

To  this  interrogation  Herbert  made  no  reply,  for  he 
understood  the  pent-up  excitement  of  the  crowd  they 
were  aj^proaching,  and  knew  that  the  explosion  was 
sure  to  come  at  the  proper  moment ;  and  he  would  not 
for  the  world  have  robbed  himself  of  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  the  Old  Trapper's  surprise.  He  therefore  made 
no  reply.  The  boat  by  this  was  within  twenty  rods  of 
the  landing,  and  was  gliding  rapidly  in.  The  Lad, 
affected  by  the  silence,  and  surprised  at  it,  suddenly 
trailed  his  oars,  and  half-turning  in  his  seat  lifted  his 


208  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

face  upward  to  see  what  was  the  cause  of  it.  The 
Old  Trapper,  surprised  at  the  extraordiliary  conduct 
of  the  crowd,  and  not  dreaming  of  the  real  reason  of 
it,  also  intermitted  his  stroke  and  brought  his  paddle 
to  a  trail,  while  his  eyes  went  and  came  from  object  to 
object  as  if  in  the  presence  of  an  enemy. 

Thus  the  boat  slowed  its  progress  and  came  nearly 
to  a  pause  within  fifty  feet  of  the  landing,  when, 
suddenly,  an  old  white-headed  man,  dressed  in  humble 
garb  and  leaning  on  a  stout  stick,  who  stood  near  the 
outermost  angle  of  the  pier,  and  who  had  been  shading 
his  eyes  for  a  moment  from  the  western  sun  that  he 
might  assist  his  failing  sight,  and  gazing  fixedly  at  the 
countenance  of  the  Trapper,  whose  features  he  had 
not  seen  for  thirty  years,  flourished  his  stick  in  the 
air,  and  exclaimed  with  a  voice  that  shook  with  the 
intensity  of  his  emotion  :  — 

"  John  Norton  !  He  saved  my  life  at  the  battle  of 
the  Salt  Licks  forty  year  agone.  Three  cheers  for 
John  Norton  !  " 

And  then,  as  if  the  cord  which  held  the  crowd  to 
silence  had  suddenly  snapped  and  yielded  to  the  pres- 
sure of  the  pent-up  excitement,  or  as  if  the  edged 
words  of  the  old  veteran  had  cut  it  like  a  knife,  a 
cheer  arose  which  burst  the  stillness  into  fragments, 
and,  thrice  repeated,  rolled  its  roar  across  the  lake, 
and  against  the  distant  hills,  until  their  hollow  caverns 
resounded  again,  wdiile  on  the  instant  a  hundred  white 
handkerchiefs,  waved  by  wdiiter  hands,  sprung  into 
sight  and  filled  the  air  with  their  snowy  flutterings. 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'  T  KXOW  MUCH.  209 

It  was  then,  when  the  mighty  cheer  broke  forth, 
and  while  tiie  roar  of  it  was  around  him,  that  the  Old 
'Trapper  realized  the  honor  which  by  silence  and  voice 
alike  was  baing  shown  him.  Herbert's  eyes  were  on 
him  with  the  glad  watchfulness  of  one  who  knew 
what  was  coming,  and  knew  also  how  totally  unpre- 
pared the  old  man  was  for  the  reception,  and  was 
curious  to  note  his  bearinof  of  it.  For  an  instant  the 
color  came  and  went  in  the  Trapper's  face  as  in  the 
face  of  a  girl  whose  beauty,  at  her  entrance  to  the 
parlor,  has  brought  every  eye  in  admiration  upon  her. 
The  least  possible  quiver  played  on  the  edges  of  his 
lips,  and  a  gleam  as  of  a  fine  light  shining  from 
within  came  into  his  eyes.  And  then  he  rose  and 
stood  at  his  utmost  height  in  the  boat,  erect  as  a  pine 
which  has  come  to  its  fullest  girth,  ripened  its  fibre  to 
toughness,  but  has  not  as  yet  felt  the  weakening  of 
coming  decay.  So  the  old  man  rose  and  stood  for  a 
moment,  in  acknowledgment  of  the  greeting,  with  a 
grace  and  dignity  that  a  trained  courtier  might  have 
envied,  but  could  not  assume,  while  the  eyes  of  the 
multitude  had  time  to  take  in  the  size  of  his  splendid 
proportions, and  the  grave  majesty  of  his  countenance; 
and  then  he  settled  to  his  seat  and  the  boat  moved  to 
the  Ian  din  o". 

"  By  heaven ! "  exclaimed  the  professional  to  his 
companions  again,  ''  if  the  Trapper  can  handle  the 
oars  like  that  chap  in  the  bow,  we  are  beaten  !  " 

And  this  was  John  Norton's  reception. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE    RACE. 

"  A  larger  scene  of  action  is  displayed."  —  Virgil,  DrydeiVs  Translation 

It  was  high  noon  at  the  Saranac,  and  a  brighter 
day  was  never  seen.  The  sky  was  so  intensely  bhie 
that  it  fairly  gleamed,  as  if,  like  woods  of  compact 
fibre,  it  was  capable  of  taking  polish.  In  it  the  sun 
stood  and  shone  with  self-asserting  brilliancy.  It 
glistened,  scintillated,  sparkled,  as  if  its  rays  were 
actually  frosty.  The  sky  above  was  wintry.  The 
cold  of  the  North  was  journeying  southward,  like  her 
feathered  couriers  on  lofty  wings.  The  upper  atmos- 
phere was  chilly,  but  on  the  earth  summer  still  tarried 
with  its  hazy  warmth  and  slumberous  airs.  The  heat 
came  from  the  earth  rather  than  from  the  sun,  and 
lingered  like  a  happy  child  near  the  mother  that  gave 
it  birth,  and  from  whose  bosom  it  would  not  fly.  The 
lake  had  not  stirred  a  ripple.  It  took  its  mood  from 
the  atmosphere,  and  matched  perfectly.  The  air  was 
thickened  as  with  golden-colored  smoke.  It  was  not 
common  air ;  it  was  incensed,  aromatic,  pungent. 
The  nose  found  strange,  spicy  scents  in  it,  and 
breathed  it  in  slowly,  as  a  delicate  mouth  receives 
cream,  not  to  swallow,  but  to  taste.  No  one  could 
breathe  such  an  air  simply  for  the  purpose  of  ordinary 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  211 

life,  —  mere  respiration,  —  but  as  one  breathes  per- 
fume ;  receiving-  its  delicious  sensation  as  a  luxury, 
and  drawing  each  breath,  not  for  life's,  but  for  joy's 
sake.  In  front  of  the  hotel,  across  the  lake,  the  hill- 
side flamed.  The  leaves  had  a  ripened  glory,  rich  as 
that  which  the  old  painters,  with  their  ardent  colors, 
painted  into  the  faces  and  around  the  heads  of  their 
saints.  Along  the  shores,  blown  by  previous  winds, 
the  brio^ht-colored  leaves  lav  thick  :  some  Ivino-  limp 
and  flat  —  patches  of  crimson  on  the  dull  water  — 
some  half-immersed,  while  others,  curled  and  curved, 
floated  jauntily  on  the  surface,  as  if  they  could 
scarcely  bear  to  touch  the  element  on  which  they 
rested.  Nature,  on  tree  and  water,  and  in  the  air,  was 
lavish  of  her  highest  tints ;  even  the  gray  moss  on  the 
rocks,  and  the  gray  rocks  themselves,  looked,  with  the 
golden  colors  on  them,  almost  gorgeous. 

On  some  the  beauty  of  the  day  was  not  lost.  But 
the  noise  and  excitement  of  the  sport  had  shut  the 
eyes  of  most  to  its  extraordinary  charms,  or  caused 
them  to  look  upon  it  from  the  purely  utilitarian  stand- 
point of  a  tin  pedler  from  New  Hampshire,  who, 
hearing  of  the  great  gathering,  and  having  an  eye 
for  business,  had  made  a  forced  drive  of  fifty  miles 
in  the  hope  of  finding  a  market  for  his  wares,  and, 
having  sold  his  last  kettle,  was  now  giving  his  undi- 
vided attention  to  the  cause  of  his  good  fortune,  and 
who,  after  a  profound  inspection  of  the  surroundings, 
pronounced  it  a  "  blamed  good  day  for  a  race."  Nor 
was  he  wrong  in  bis  estimate.     It  was  a  good  day  for 


212  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

a  race,  and  a  long  race  at  that.  For  of  wind  there 
was  none.  The  water  was  level  as  water  mioht  be, 
and  the  an-  was  of  that  genial  quality  that  one  could 
breathe  under  the  necessities  of  violent  exertion,  even 
with  gasps,  and  not  have  it  "  cut  "  windpipe  or  lungs. 
It  was  high  noon,  and  the  "  free  for  all  "  Avas  to  be 
pulled  at  one  o'clock.  The  entries  w^ere  closed  the 
evening  before  and  stood  seven  in  all  :  the  three 
professionals ;  the  brother  guides,  known  as  Fred  and 
Charlie,  respectively ;  the  Old  Trapper,  and  the  Lad. 
When  the  names  were  announced  from  the  front 
piazza  to  a  highly  interested  crowd,  which  numbered 
every  man  and  boy,  guide  and  gentleman  on  the  place, 
the  other  names  were  received  with  cheers,  but  the 
greeting  given  to  the  Lad  was  peculiar.  When  the 
chairman  of  the  committee  of  arrangements  announced 
it,  it  was  heard  by  the  throng  in  dead  silence,  none 
knowing  to  whom  it  applied  ;  but  when  the  chairman 
in  response  to  a  question  from  the  crowd  explained 
that  ''  it  belongs  to  the  tall  young  man  that  came  in 
with  Mr.  Herbert  and  John  Norton  yesterday,"  the 
most  extraordinary  explosion,  and  one  characteristic 
of  an  American  audience,  followed.  It  was  not  a 
cheer,  nor  a  groan,  but  a  monstrous  roar  of  good 
nature,  astonishment,  contempt,  and  mirthfulness  all 
combined  in  equal  measure. 

Literroofations  crossed  and  recrossed  each  other  in 
the  air.  The  old  chap  w^ho  had  started  the  cheer 
for  John  Norton  the  previous  day  w^anted  to  know 
"  which  section  of  the  boy  was  to  pull,  the  upj^er  or 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  213 

lower  half,'  for  no  Saranac  boat  would  hold  both 
halves  of  him  at  once."  Remarks  more  or  less  witty 
were  made  as  to  the  leno^th  of  his  leirs  and  arms,  the 
enormous  size  of  his  hands,  and  the  lath-like  shape 
of  his  build.  Many  of  these  remarks  were  directly 
or  indirectly  addressed  to  the  Trapper,  as  the  only 
one  who  could  give  information  who  and  what  the 
Lad  was. 

The  old  man  bore  the  badinaoe  of  the  crowd  for 
several  minutes  with  immovable  good  nature ;  and  it 
was  not  until  the  hilarity — passing  dow^nward  from 
the  better  class  to  the  coarser  and  half-drunken  hano^ers- 
on  that  can  always  be  found  in  a  crowd  at  a  country 
hotel  —  began  to  be  tinctured  with  vulgarity,  if  not 
with  abuse,  and  the  questions  put  with  offensive  direct- 
ness to  the  Lad  himself,  who  w^as  standing  timidly 
behind  him,  that  he  made  any  reply.  But  then  he 
stepped  suddenly  aside,  bringing  by  the  motion  the 
Lad  into  full  view,  and  laying  one  hand  lightly  on  his 
shoulder  and  stretching  the  broad  palm  of  the  other 
out,  he  said  :  — 

"  I  sartinly  hope  I  can  take  a  joke,  either  on  my 
own  account  or  on  account  of  a  friend ;  but  there's  a 
p'int  beyend  which  it's  axin'  a  good  deal  of  human 
natur'  to  stand.  And  a  few  of  ye  noisy  chaps,  in  this 
matter  of  the  lad's  rowin'  to-morrer,  has  gone  about 
fur  enough,  and  I'd  advise  ye  to  fetch  up,  or  ye'll  sar- 
tinly git  yerselves  into  trouble.  And  sence  I've  got  a 
chance  I  might  as  well  stop  a  leetle  nonsense  that  the 
lad  has  told  me  ye  practised  on  him  when  he  come 


214  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

out  with  his  pelts  last  spring;  and  so  I'll  jest  say  — 
and  there  be  a  few  here  who  will  tell  ye  that  John 
Norton  is  apt  to  keep  his  word  —  that  ef  this  boy  by 
my  side,  whom  I  call  the  Lad,  but  who  calls  himself, 
'  The  Man  Who  Don't  Know  Much,'  ever  comes  here 
agin,  and  any  of  ye  git  careless  in  yer  speech  toward 
him,  I'll  come  out  and  settle  the  matter  with  them 
that  does  it,  and  in  a  way  they  won't  forgit  while  they 
live  on  the  'arth." 

It  was  five  minutes  of  one  o'clock,  and  the  seven 
boats  were  already  in  position,  and  the  seven  oarsmen, 
excepting  the  TrapjDer  and  the  Lad,  had  their  oars  at 
a  rest.  The  course  ran  strai^-ht  down  the  lake  to  a 
line  of  seven  buoys,  so  that  each  boat  had  its  own 
buoy  to  turn,  and  thence  back  again  to  the  line  at 
which  they  were  now  stationed  for  the  start.  The 
length  of  the  course  was,  therefore,  just  four  miles ; 
two  out  and  return,  a  longer  race  by  half  than  was 
ever  before  pulled  on  those  waters.  The  fact  alone 
increased  the  interest  of  the  spectators,  and  provoked 
a  deal  of  discussion.  Since  the  previous  evening, 
divisions  had  taken  place  in  the  opinions  of  the  crowd, 
and  every  competitor  but  the  Lad  had  his  backers. 
The  professionals,  of  course,  had  the  majority  still, 
but  the  Old  Trapper  was  well  backed,  especially  by 
the  older  men  among  the  natives,  and  by  the  ladies  of 
the  hotel,  upon  whom  the  simplicity  of  his  manners, 
and  perhaps  even  more,  the  greatness  of  his  fame,  had 
made  a  profound  and  most  favorable  impression.  But 
the  two  young  guides,  Fred  and  Charlie,  did  not  lack 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  215 

supporters  either,  —  the  f orraer  because  of  his  enor- 
mous strength,  which  had  already  given  him  a  brill- 
iant local  reputation,  and  because,  although  he  had 
never  pulled  in  a  public  race,  he  was  nevertheless 
known  to  have  such  command  at  the  oars  as  few 
attain,  and  none  unless  they  have  a  natural  aptitude 
for  the  work.  Herbert  believed  that  Fred  would  win 
the  race  if  any  accident  should  happen  to  the  Trap- 
per, and  if  the  Lad  should,  through  timidity,  fail  to 
exert  himself  ;  for  the  young  man  had  been  his  guide 
several  seasons  and  li3  had  assisted  him  with  sug- 
ofestions  in  masterino^  a  stroke  which  allowed  his  enor- 
mous  strength  to  expend  itself  to  the  best  advantage. 
Indeed,  many  of  the  spectators  were  aware  of  this, 
and  in  default  of  Herbert's  pulling,  himself,  w^hich 
was  the  subject  of  keen  and  universal  regret,  Fred 
was  looked  upon  as  in  a  certain  sense  his  represen- 
tative, and  was  backed  accordingly.  His  brother, 
although  of  lighter  proportions,  had  already  won  in 
many  races,  and  was  known  as  one  of  the  best,  if  not 
the  best,  oarsmen  among  the  guides,  and  his  party  was 
strong  in  numbers  and  equally  strong  in  hope,  includ- 
ing as  it  did  nearly  every  visitor  from  an  adjoining 
hotel,  and  every  guide  in  the  St.  Regis  region. 
Indeed,  as  between  the  two  brothers,  Frad  and 
Charlie,  and  the  Trapper,  the  guides  and  dwellers  in 
the  w^oods  were  well  represented,  and  they  felt  that 
the  chance  of  their  champions  winning  the  prizes  over 
the  professionals  was  as  good  as  it  could  possibly  be, 
and   they  backed   their  men  with  all  the  earnestness 


216  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

of  their  earnest  natures  and  the  talkative  confidence 
of  local  pride  now  thoroughly  aroused.  The  Lad  had 
not  a  single  backer,  with  the  exception,  strange  to  say, 
of  the  professionals  themselves ;  for  even  Herbert  did 
not  feel  persuaded  that  he  would  pull  with  energy, 
and  therefore  said  nothing  openly  of  his  chances. 
But  the  professionals,  who  had  Avatched  his  stroke  as 
he  came  down  the  lake  th3  day  before,  and  knew 
nothing  of  his  timid  temperament,  inwardly  feared 
him  more  than  all  the  others,  and  decided  among 
themselves  that  he  was  their  real  antagonist,  though 
of  this  they  said  nothing  to  others,  but  through  a 
"  silent  partner  "  they  "  hedged  "  on  him  in  the  bet- 
ting which  quietly  and  without  the  least  publicity  had 
been  indulged  in  to  a  considerable  extent,  especially 
among  the  guests  of  the  hotel  and  the  city  visitors 
from  the  adjoining  houses.  The  boats  in  which  the 
several  contestants  were  to  pull  were  by  no  means  of 
the  same  length  or  shape,  for  the  conditions  of  the 
race  allowed  them  to  "  take  their  pick,"  and  each  had 
followed  his  own  inclinations.  The  three  professionals 
had  picked  the  lightest  boats  they  could  find,  and 
those  in  which  they  sat  averaged  about  sixty  pounds 
and  were  some  thirteen  feet  long.  Charlie  selected  a 
light  one  belonging  to  a  lady,  one  of  the  guests  of  the 
house,  of  lapstreak  build  but  narrow  and  low,  made  of 
Spanish  cedar,  polished  till  it  shone  like  glass,  twelve 
feet  in  length  and  weighing  only  forty-six  pounds. 
The  other  guide,  Fred,  pulled  his  own  boat,  over  fif- 
teen feet  in  length,  and  which  weighed  eighty  pounds 


THE  MAX  WHO  DTDyr  KXOW  MUCH  217 

and  more.  For  the  Trapper,  Herbert  had  selected 
one  of  precisely  the  same  length  and  weight,  while  the 
Lad  sat  in  his  own,  that  measnred  seventeen  feet  and 
upward  and  weighed  over  ninety  ponnds. 

The  Trapper  had  with  him  his  rifle,  from  which 
no  argument  of  Herbert  —  because  of  the  extra 
weight  it  added,  —  could  separate  him  ;  and  in  the 
stern  of  the  Lad's  boat  sat  Sport,  the  hound,  with 
an  expression  of  such  gravity  as  only  a  hound's 
countenance,  when  in  repose,  can  show ;  as  if  he  had 
been  elected  to  preside  as  judge  over  the  race,  and 
felt  to  the  full  the  grave  responsibility  of  the  position 
and  its  accompanying  dignity. 

The  number  of  the  spectators  was  a  wonder  to  all, 
and  entirely  unanticipated.  For  although  it  was 
expected  that  a  large  crowd  would  be  present,  yet 
the  gathering  had  grown  into  unprecedented  and 
enormous  proportions.  Where  the  people  came  from 
was  a  mystery.  It  seemed  as  if  not  only  had  the 
wilderness  sent  out  every  guide  and  party  camping 
in  it,  but  as  if  every  hotel  in  the  whole  region  had 
emptied  its  guests  upon  the  waters  and  shores  of  the 
Lower  Saranac,  and  that  even  the  outlying  villages 
had  poured  their  entire  population  into  the  same 
receptacle.  The  long,  wide  piazzas  of  the  hotel,  the 
wharf,  even  the  roof  of  the  boat-house,  swarmed  with 
human  beino^s.  The  shore  on  either  side  of  the  lake 
was  also  lined  with  spectators  for  the  distance  of  a 
half  a  mile,  while  on  the  waters  of  the  lake  itself, 
stretched  on  either  side  of  the  course,  which  was  duly 


218  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

protected  from  infringement  by  guard-boats  stationed 
at  suitable  distances  by  the  committee  of  arrange- 
ments, at  least  five  hundred  boats  hiy  loaded  deep 
with  eager  spectators.  From  a  flag-staff  in  front  of 
the  hotel  the  Stars  and  Stripes  hung  pendent  in  the 
still  air,  a  drapery  of  glorious  color  in  the  bright 
sunshine,  while  numberless  smaller  flags  and  showy 
streamers  flecked  the  air  with  their  rich  shades 
everywhere.  Nature  and  man  seemed  in  rivalry  and 
strivino^  to  outdo  each  other  in  contributinof  most  to 
the  spectacular  glory  of  the  scene. 

Such  was  the  position  of  things  at  five  minutes  to 
one  o'clock,  —  the  seven  boats  in  line,  and  the  seven 
contestants  waiting  for  the  word,  with  every  eye 
among  the  thousands  fastened  upon  them  amid  a 
silence  as  profound  as  if  by  some  supernatural  power 
every  man  and  trace  of  man  had  been  suddenly 
banished  from  the  spot,  and  nature  had  returned  to 
the  uninterrupted  silence  of  her  primeval  solitude. 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  the  Trapper,  speaking  to  the 
two  brothers  on  his  right,  "  ye  must  remember  that  a 
four-mile  race  be  a  good  deal  of  a  pull,  and  the  go-off 
isn't  half  as  decidin'  as  the  come-in.  I  don't  conceit 
we  can  afford  to  fool  away  any  time  even  in  the  fust 
half-mile,  for  them  three  perfessionals  have  come 
here  to  row,  and  they  look  to  me  as  ef  they  had 
a  good  deal  of  that  sort  of  work  in  'em ;  but  it 
won't  do  to  git  flustered  at  the  start,  and  ef  ye  see 
fit  to  f oiler  it,  I  will  set  up  a  jedgmatical  sort  of  a 
stroke  which  will  send  us  out  to  the  bys  yender  with- 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KNOW  MUCH.  219 

out  any  rawness  in  the  Avindpipe  or  kinks  in  the  legs. 
Still,  ef  ye  don't  think  ye  be  pulling  fast  enough, 
take  yer  own  lick,  —  for  in  seeh  matters  the  best 
jedgment  may  prove  like  a  hound  off  the  scent,  and 
I  wouldn't  spile  yer  chances  of  wallopin'  them  per- 
fessionals,  to-day,  for  all  the  money  on  the  'arth. 
And  in  sech  a  race  as  this  is  likely  to  be,  it's  only  just 
and  reasonable  that  every  man  should  foller  his  own 
notions,  and  act  accordin'  to  his  gifts. 

"Do  you  think  w^e  shall  win,  Old  Trapper?"  said 
Fred  in  a  low  tone. 

"  I  dunno,  I  dunno,  boy  ;  I  sartinly  dunno,"  re- 
turned the  Trapper  in  a  tone  scarcely  above  a  whisper. 
"  I  like  yer  build,  for  ye  be  broad  in  yer  chest  and 
thick  in  yer  loins,  and  yer  jawbone  is  a  big  un,  and 
that  means  ye  have  got  plenty  of  grit,  as  I  have 
obsarved  natur';  but  I  don't  like  yer  oars.  No,  I  can't 
say  I  like  yer  oars,  specially  that  left  un,  for  there's  a 
knerl  in  the  shank  of  it  that  ouohtn^  to  be  there, 
and  I  fear  the  pesky  thing  will  play  a  trick  on  ye  at 
the  finish.  But  Henry  has  great  confidence  in  ye, 
and  Henry  knows  what  rowin'  and  oars  be,  for  sartin. 
I'd  give  every  skin  in  the  cabin  ef  the  boy  was  atween 
me  and  the  Lad  here,  ay,  and  throw  in  a  dozen  or 
two  of  my  best  traps  to  boot." 

"  Your  oars  are  big  enough  to  hold,  anyway," 
rejoined  the  young  man,  "  and  I  hope  to  heaven  you 
will  win." 

"  Thank  ye,  boy,  thank  ye.  It  is  well  spoken  in  ye. 
Yis,  I  sartinly  shall  try,  for  it  would  be  a  mortal  shame 


220  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

to  have  the  prize  go  out  of  the  woods,  for  the  piece  be 
a  likely  one  to  look  at,  and  they  say  it  has  a  long 
range.  And  ef  nothing  gives  way  I'll  give  'em  a 
touch  of  the  stuff  that's  in  me  for  the  last  half-mile 
that  will  make  'em  git  down  to  their  work  in  'arnest, 
ye  may  depend  on't.  But  ef  anything  happens  to  us, 
or  we  can't  do  it,  I  have  great  hopes  of  the  Lad  here, 
for  his  gifts  be  wonderful  at  the  oars,  and  ef  he  will 
only  pull  as  I  seed  him  the  day  afore  yesterday  he'll  — 

'^  Ready,  there  /"  said  the  sharp,  clear  voice  of  the 
Starter.      "  Beady,  there,  for  the  ivord  /" 

"  Ay,  ay,  ready  it  is,"  replied  the  Trapper,  as  he 
advanced  his  blades  well  ahead  ready  for  the  signal. 
''  Now,  lad,"  whispered  the  Trapper  hoarsely,  "  don't 
ye  forgit  yer  promise,  and  ef  anything  happens,  or  ye 
see  I  can't  win,  and  I  give  ye  the  word,  John  Norton 
will  never  forgive  ye  ef  ye  don't  pull  like  a  sinner 
runnin'  from  the  jedgment," 

"  Ready  there  all  of  you.  One,  two,  THREE. 
GO!" 

At  the  word,  "  Go  !  "  the  seven  boats  started ;  but 
not  together.  The  oars  of  the  three  professionals 
dropped  into  the  water  as  if  their  blades  were  con- 
trolled by  one  man,  and  their  stroke  was  so  tense  and 
quick  that  the  light  boats  fairly  jumped  ahead  like 
three  arrows  shot  from  one  quivering  string.  But 
lightning-like  as  was  their  stroke,  it  was  no  quicker 
than  the  one  that  Charlie,  the  guide,  had  delivered, 
nor  had  tliev  thrown  an  ounce  of  vio^or  into  theirs 
which  he  had  not  also  put  into  his ;  and  the  little  boat 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  221 

in  which  he  sat  had  the  best  of  the  send-off  by  at  least 
a  foot.  The  other  guide  and  the  Trapper  had  been 
slower  to  get  away  —  as  in  reason  they  must,  being  in 
heavier  boats,  —  and  were  at  least  a  full  length  behind 
before  they  had  fairly  got  into  motion.  Nor  did 
the  Trapper  seem  to  be  anxious  to  make  up  the  lost 
ground,  nor  to  care  if  he  lost  more  ;  for  his  stroke  Avas 
long,  steady,  and  to  the  lookers-on  it  seemed  leisurely 
pulled.  The  Lad  was  the  last  to  get  off,  and  his 
stroke  was  even  longer,  easier,  and  more  deliberately 
delivered  than  the  Trapper's ;  and  so  careless  and  un- 
gainly was  his  appearance,  and  so  little  snap  did  he 
evince,  that  the  crowd,  who  cheered  the  passage  of 
the  others  as  they  swept  past,  laughed  and  groaned 
and  roared  their  fun  out  at  him  as  he  swung  non- 
chalantly along.  For  forty  rods  the  race  continued, 
without  change  in  the  relative  positions  of  the  seven 
boats.  The  professionals  pulled  a  quick,  sharp  stroke 
of  forty-odd  to  the  minute,  which  was  precisely 
matched  by  the  young  guide,  and  the  gain  of  a  foot 
he  had  at  the  send-off  he  still  held  almost  to  an  inch. 
A  prettier  sight  than  the  four  leading  boats  presented 
never  gladdened  a  boatman's  eye,  nor  stirred  the 
gazer's  blood.  The  eight  oars  flashed,  dropped,  and 
flashed  again  as  the  oarsmen  swept  their  blades  ahead, 
as  if  their  motions  were  regulated  by  machinery,  while 
their  heads  and  bodies  rose  and  sank  with  automatic 
precision.  Some  rods  behind,  the  Trapper  and  Fred 
were  pulling  side  by  side  and  stroke  for  stroke,  — • 
long,  strong,  and  steady. 


222  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

"  I  tell  ye,  boy,"  said  the  old  man  to  the  young 
guide  by  his  side,  as  he  half-turned  his  head  and 
threw  a  glance  forward,  ^Hhem  perfessionals  have 
got  their  match  for  quickness  in  yer  brother,  ef  I 
am  any  jedge,  and  ef  he's  got  wind  and  grit  they'll 
like  him  as  leetle  as  a  half-breed  likes  the  pill  of 
the  doctor ;  for  the  more  they  chew  him  the  bit- 
terer he'll  taste.  It  does  mje  good  to  see  the  boy 
hang  to  'em.  Lord-a-massy !  how  the  folks  be  yell- 
in',  and  the  wimmin  themselves  be  screechin'  like 
squaws  at  the  maize  dance.  Yis,  yis,  boy,  I  under- 
stand ye ;  but  don't  ye  worry ;  four  mile  is  four 
mile ;  and  it's  a  long  oar  and  strong  back  that's 
goin'  to  win  this  race,  and  no  clipper-clapper  work 
that's  makin'  the  folks  screech  so  ahead ;  but  ef  ye 
be  narvous  we'll  lengthen  out  a  leetle  jest  to  show 
'em  that  we  ain't  more  than  half  asleep."  "  Come, 
lad !  "  called  the  Trapper  to  his  comrade  astern, 
"  don't  ye  mind  the  foolishness  they  be  saying  to 
ye  and  the  dog,  but  h'ist  along  a  leetle  faster,  for 
w^e  be  goin'  to  let  out  a  link  or  two,  and  I  feel  a 
leetle  easier  to  have  ye  nigh  enough  to  catch  the 
reason  of  yer  stroke  and  feel  the  ease  of  it  in  my 
elbows.  " 

So  saying,  the  old  man  set  his  comrade  a  stroke  so 
long  and  sharply  pulled  that  the  tw^o  boats  fairly 
doubled  their  rate  of  speed,  and  in  a  minute  were  end 
and  end  with  the  boats  ahead,  while  the  exhibition  of 
strength  thus  made,  taking  the  spectators,  wlio  had 
begun   to   look  upon   the   race  as  lying  between  the 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  223 

four  contestants  in  front,  by  surprise,  brought  a 
roar  of  astonishment  and  wild  delight  from  their 
mouths  that  fairly  lifted  the  air  as  with  an  explo- 
sion. But  here  and  there  a  watchful  eye,  and  pre- 
eminently that  of  the  "  silent "  partner  of  the  pro- 
fessionals, noted  that,  rapid  as  had  been  the  move- 
ment of  the  two  boats  forward,  as  impelled  by  the 
tremendous  spurt  of  the  Trajjper  and  Fred,  and 
although  the  Lad  still  swung  along  in  his  nonchalant 
manner,  yet  when  the.sjiurt  had  ended  and  six  instead 
of  four  boats  were  now  in  line,  the  boat  of  the  Lad 
was  in  the  precise  position  as  regards  its  nearness  to 
the  Trapper  that  it  had  been  from  the  beginning  of 
the  race.  And  seeing  this  —  a  very  instructive  fact 
to  one  of  his  profession  —  he  proceeded  to  "  hedge  " 
yet  more. 

"  There  !  "  said  the  Trapper  to  the  young  guide  at 
his  side,  as  the  two  boats  came  up  even  with  the  other 
four,  and  he  had  breathed  himself  a  moment,  "  I  guess 
we'll  ease  up  a  leetle,  for  the  time  to  raally  pull  hasn't 
come  yit.  I  tell  ye,  boy,  ye  needn't  be  afeered  about 
the  race.  That  rifle  is  goin'  to  stay  here  in  the  woods, 
and  I  sartinly  hope  ye  may  git  it,  too  ;  for  ye  have  got 
the  raal  grit  in  ye,  and  yer  stroke  be  so  much  like 
Henry's,  that  when  ye  let  out  back  there  I  almost  con- 
ceited the  boy  himself  was  pullin'  yer  boat.  No,  no, 
boy  ;  don't  say  a  word,  but  keep  yer  breath  to  yerself, 
for  ye'll  need  it  all  at  the  finish.  No,"  continued  the 
Trapper,  as  if  talking  to  himself,  "  I  don't  need  the 
piece,  and  Henry  has  as  good  a   one  already  as  man 


224  ADIBONDACK     TALES. 

ever  handled,  and  a  good  rifle  ain't  got  every  day  and 
is  better  than  a  fortin  to  one  of  yer  years.  Yis,  boy, 
you  let  me  set  ye  the  stroke,  and  I'll  bring  ye  in  ahead 
of  them  chaps,  and  of  yer  brother,  too  ;  for  it's  agin 
reason  that  a  light  boat  and  a  quick  stroke  should  win 
agin  a  long  boat  and  a  long  oar,  with  sech  a  back  and 
sech  grit  as  ye  have.  So  save  yer  breath  as  much  as 
ye  can  for  the  finish,  and  the  rifle  shall  be  in  yer  cabin 
to-night,  or  my  name  ain't  John  Norton." 

"  Now,"  resumed  the  Trapper  after  a  moment's 
pause,  "  there's  the  Lad  back  there  that  can  beat  us 
both,  but  his  sperit  is  agin  it,  for  he  thinks  it  would 
tickle  an  old  man  like  me  to  wan  the  prize,  and  so  he 
won't  pull.  Jest  watch  his  stroke,  boy,  and  obsarve 
the  reason  of  it.  Did  ye  ever  see  a  boat  run  like 
that  with  sech  leetle  effort  ?  Lord  bless  the  lad  !  it's 
a  marvel  how  the  Creatur  can  put  so  much  power  into 
sech  an  onreasonable  body.  — Easy,  boy,  easy,  let  'em 
git  ahead  ef  they  want  to.  The  comin'  in  is  what 
decides  a  race,  and  I'll  give  ye  a  stroke  on  the  last 
half-mile  that'll  make  'em  feel  like  an  over-fed  hound 
in  a  hot  chase." 

Thus  the  boats  rushed  on  their  way,  each  running 
as  straight  towards  its  appointed  buoy  as  a  bullet 
could  fly  ;  while  the  multitude,  now^  far  astern,  w^atched 
with  eager  eyes  and  bated  breath  the  receding  race. 
As  the  boats  passed  farther  and  farther  down  the  lake 
the  murmur  of  renewed  conversation  arose ;  wdiile 
speculation,  guesses,  and  strong  assertions  as  to  who 
would  win  were  heard  on  all    sides.     It  was  evident 


THE  MAy  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  225 

that  the  party  of  the  Trapper  Avas  abeady  in  the 
ascendant ;  for  the  spurt  he  had  made,  and  which  had 
carried  his  boat  with  such  a  rush  up  even  to  the  front, 
had  revealed  the  tremendous  power  of  the  man,  and 
shown  that  age  had  not  weakened,  to  any  extent,  his 
enormous  strength.  The  old  men  in  the  crowd,  whose 
sympathies  were  naturally  enlisted  in  behalf  of  their 
former  comrade,  were  nearly  beside  themselves  with 
delight,  as  they  saw  him  rush  his  boat  forward.  They 
swung  their  hats ;  they  shook  each  other's  hands ; 
they  cheered  with  their  thin,  tremulous  voices  ;  they 
actually  wept,  while  the  old  fellow,  who  had  repeated 
it  at  least  twenty  times  before,  again  asserted,  "  I  tell 
ye,  there  isn't  a  man  on  God's  'artli  can  beat  John 
Norton  at  the  oars." 

At  last  a  man  with  stentorian  lungs,  who  stood  on 
the  ridge  of  the  boat-house,  shouted  with  all  the  power 
of  his  voice  :  "  They  have  turned  the  buoys !  They 
have  turned  the  buoys  !  The  professionals  and  Charlie 
are  ahead  !  "  At  this  announcement  a  silence  fell  on 
the  multitude  for  a  moment,  and  then  the  buzz  and 
murmur  of  mingling  voices  again  arose. 

"  How  far  behind  is  John  Norton?"  said  the  old 
chap  on  the  wharf. 

"  He  and  Fred  are  four  rods  astern,  at  least,"  bel- 
lowed the  man  in  reply. 

"  Where's  the  Lad  ?  "  asked  the  "  silent "  partner, 
in  a  clear  tenor  voice. 

"  0,  he's  out  of  the  race,"  said  the  man  on  the  roof. 
"  He's  full  five  rods  behind  the  Trapper  and  Fred." 


226  ADIRONDACK    TALES. 

At  this  the  "  silent  "  man  with  the  tenor  voice  looked 
puzzled.  He  took  a  cigar  from  his  pocket,  and,  as  he 
coolly  struck  a  match  on  his  boot-heel,  those  standing 
near  heard  him  mutter  :  "  Ten  rods  astern  !  His 
stroke  is  a  winning  stroke.  What's  the  matter  with 
the  fool?" 

By  this  time  the  boats  were  plain  to  the  view,  and 
the  stillness  which  had  settled  on  the  crowd  which, 
with  eager  eyes  and  shortened  breath,  watched  their 
coming,  was  so  profound  as  to  be  absolutely  oppressive  ; 
for  the  contestants  were  barely  a  mile  away,  and  every 
boat,  and  even  the  action  of  the  several  boatmen,  was 
clearly  visible. 

"  There,  boy,"  said  the  Trapper  to  the  young  man 
at  his  side,  "  ye  have  trusted  to  an  old  man's  jedgment, 
who  played  the  game  we  be  at  afore  ye  was  born,  and 
I  told  ye,  comin'  down,  the  piece  should  be  in  yer 
cabin  to-night.  The  time  has  sartinly  come  for  us  to 
show  the  grit  that's  in  us.  Be  ye  ready  for  the  stroke, 
boy?" 

The  guide  made  no  reply,  save  a  quick,  sharp  nod 
of  his  head  and  a  slight  tightening  of  his  lips,  while 
his  heavy  brows  lowered  darkly  over  his  eyes. 

"  All  right,"  said  the  Trapper ;  "  ready  for  the 
word  ;  long  and  quick  ;  now  !  " 

The  swoop  of  a  hawk  into  the  thicket  after  its  prey 
is  scarcely  swifter  or  straighter  than  was  the  rush  of 
the  two  boats,  in  which  the  old  man  and  the  young 
guide  sat,  to  the  front,  until  their  bows  lined  exactly 
with  those  of  the  other  four. 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  227 

"  Easy,  easy  now,"  said  the  Trapper.  "  Git  yer 
breath,  boy.  Yis,  Henry  was  right ;  ye  be  grit  from 
yer  head  to  yer  toes.  The  rifle  is  yours,  or  John 
Norton  —  " 

A  groan  of  pain  and  rage  interrupted  the  Trapper. 
He  threw  a  glance  to  the  left  and  the  cause  was  appar- 
ent. The  oars  of  Charlie  were  trailino-  while  the 
white  shirt  that  he  wore  was  spattered  all  over  with 
blood.  His  tremendous  exertions  had  broken  a  blood- 
vessel, and  from  mouth  and  nose  alike  jetted  with 
every  gasp  the  sanguine  tide. 

"  Never  mind  the  boy,"  hoarsely  whispered  the 
Trapper  ;  "  they'll  pick  him  up.  The  piece  must  stay 
in  the  woods  ef  yer  Avhole  family  dies.  These  chaps 
pull  well.  Now,  boy,  put  yer  strength  to  yer  oars, 
and  pull  yer  arms  out  of  their  sockets,  or  win.  Ready 
for  the  word  ?     Noio  I  " 

The  young  man  obeyed  the  Trapper  to  a  fraction. 
He  threw  the  full  force  of  the  enormous  strength,  for 
which  he  was  noted,  into  his  stroke.  The  cords  of 
his  large  neck  swelled  and  stood  out  like  ropes ;  his 
nostrils  dilated  ;  his  face  fairly  sharpened  to  the  effort ; 
but  the  sudden  vio;or  of  his  stroke  was  too  much  for 
the  wood.  The  miserable  oar,  to  which  the  Trapper 
had  alluded,  parted  wdth  a  crash.  The  guide  was 
thrown  upon  his  side  on  the  edge  of  his  boat ;  the 
boat  careened,  swayed,  swooped  suddenly  aside,  and 
the  young  man,  unable  to  recover  his  balance,  rolled 
headlono'  into  the  lake. 

The  Trapper   was  now   thoroughly  aroused.     The 


228  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

boats  were  within  a  hundred  rods  of  the  home  line, 
and  the  Lad  was  fully  ten  astern.  The  roar  of  the 
crowd  was  deafening.  The  professionals  were  pulling 
grittily.  The  old  man's  eyes  fairly  glowed  ;  through 
the  roar  of  the  multitude,  who  were  literally  frantic 
with  excitement,  his  ear  caught  the  voice  of  Herbert 
callinof  clear  and  strong^ :  -7- 

"  John  Norton,  now  is  your  chance  !  PULL  !  " 
The  old  man  gathered  liimself  for  a  supreme 
effort.  His  blood  was  up  and  the  lion  in  him  fairly 
aroused.  Never  before  was  such  a  stroke  pulled,  and 
never  before  was  such  a  catastrophe.  The  blades 
were  too  broad  and  strong  to  yield  ;  the  boat  was  too 
heavy  to  get  away  quickly  enough ;  the  oars  too 
strong  to  part  at  the  stroke ;  his  tremendous  effort 
tore  the  roivlocks  from  the  (jumcaJes  as  if  they  had 
been  2^cqjer,  and  the  Trajyj^er  measured  his  length  in 
the  bottom  of  the  boat! 

The  catastrophe  was  so  unexpected  and  overwhelm- 
ing in  its  character  that  it  hushed  the  roar  of  the  crowd 
as  if  an  awful  visitation  had  terrified  them  to  silence. 
Even  the  professionals  intermitted  a  stroke  and  the 
Lad  turned  his  face  ahead.  The  old  man  had  risen 
and  was  standing  erect  in  his  boat,  still  holding  the 
huge  oars  in  his  mighty  hands.  His  eyes  flamed ; 
his  face  was  bloodless  in  the  wdiiteness  of  an  unutter- 
able rage  ;  he  shook  the  heavy  oars  in  the  air  as  if 
they  had  been  reeds,  and  shouted  with  a  voice  that 
rose  like  the  roar  of  a  desert  lion  challenging 
combat :  — 


THE  :\IAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  229 

"  Lad,  now  pull  for  John  Norton's  sake  and  save 
his  gray  hairs  from  shame  !  Pull,  with  every  ounce 
of  strength  the  Almighty  has  gin  ye,  or  the  honor 
of  an  old  man  be  gone." 

It  were  worth  a  thousand  miles  of  travel  and 
a  year  of  life  to  S3e  what  followed.  It  seemed 
as  if  the  strength  of  the  Trapper,  through  the 
medium  of  the  awful  appeal,  had  actually  been  im- 
parted to  the  Lad  afid  put  at  the  disposal  of  his 
skill.  His  head  suddenly  sat  erect  on  his  shoulders. 
His  body  straightened  as  if  fashioned  in  perfect 
symmetry.  His  stroke  lengthened  to  the  full  reach 
of  oar  and  arm.  The  oars  bent  like  whip-sticks.  The 
flash  of  the  blades  on  the  recovery  was  so  quick 
that  the  eye  caught  only  the  gleam.  His  boat 
sprang,  flew,  flashed,  and  as  it  jumped  past  the 
Trapper,  the  old  man  again  wildly  shook  the  oars 
he  clutched  in  his  hands,  and  shouted  :  — 

"  Go  it,  lad  !  The  honor  of  the  woods  be  on  ye  ! 
Gin  it  to  'em  !  Ye'll  beat  'em  yet,  sure  as  Jedgment 
Day!" 

Except  the  voice  of  the  Trapper  not  a  sound  was 
heard.  The  feelino-  Avas  too  intense.  Men  clinched 
their  fists  until  their  nails  cut  the  skin  of  their 
palms.  They  never  felt  the  pain.  Women  fainted 
where  they  stood  or  sat.  No  one  noticed  them.  One 
of  the  professionals  threw  up  his  oars,  crazed  by 
the  excitement.  The  other  two  pulled  in  grim  desper- 
ation, their  faces  white  as  chalk,  but  grit  to  the 
last.     They  pulled,  but  pulled  in  vain,  for  the  boat 


230  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

caught  them  within  fifty  feet  of  the  hne  and  shot 
across  it  half  a  length  to  the  front. 

The  race  was  over  and  the  rifle  would  stay 
in  the  woods  ! 

For  an  instant  not  a  sound  was  heard.  Then  such 
a  shout  went  up  as  was  never  heard  before  from 
human  throats.  The  noise  tore  and  stormed  throuo-h 
the  still  air,  rolled  and  reeled  this  way  and  that ; 
exploded  again  and  again,  imtil  the  very  heavens 
quivered  and  shook ;  while  amid  the  uproar  the 
sonorous  voice  of  the  Lad's  hound  sent  forth  its 
gladsome  challenge  as  if  he  shared  the  joy  of  the 
crowd  and  appreciated  the  honor  it  w^as  paying  to  his 
simple-minded  master. 

The  "  silent  partner"  on  the  wharf  spat  out  of  his 
mouth  the  stump  of  the  cigar  which,  without  know- 
ing it,  he  had  bitten  in  two  in  his  excitement,  took  a 
fresh  one  from  his  pocket,  lighted  it,  and  muttered 
to  himself,  — 

"  I'm  glad  I  HEDGED  I  " 


CHAPTER    YIII. 

THE  lad's  triumph. 

"  Your  grace  has  laid  the  odds  on  the  weaker  side."  —  Shakespeare. 

The  scene  which  followed  is  indescribable.  Hats 
and  caps  went  into  the  air  in  clouds,  handkerchiefs 
fairly  whitened  the  shores,  the  wharf,  and  the  front 
of  the  hotel,  men  yelled,  women  clapped  their  hands, 
dogs  barked,  guns  exploded,  while  amid  the  uproar, 
confusion,  and  babel  of  indistinguishable  noises,  in 
some  way  —  no  one  could  tell  precisely  how"  —  the 
boats  of  the  contestants  reached  the  landino-  and  the 
oarsmen,  every  one  of  them  save  the  Old  Trapper 
white  and  tremulous  from  their  tremendous  effort, 
stepped  or  were  helped  ashore. 

The  crowd,  like  all  American  crowds,  when  greatly 
and  happily  excited,  was  generous  to  an  excess,  and 
gave  to  each  a  reception  whose  warmth  and  enthusiasm 
were  sufficient  to  have  broken  down  the  barrier  of 
professional  pride,  and  remove  from  vanity  itself  the 
sting  of  defeat.  Even  the  professional  who  had  lost 
his  head  in  the  awful  excitement  of  the  last  moment, 
and  thrown  up  his  oars  in  mental  bewilderment,  was 
not  excluded  from  the  ovation,  for  it  was  felt  that  the 
circumstances  had  been  so  extraordinary  that  it  fur- 
nished an  ample    excuse  for  his  aberration.     Indeed, 


232  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

the  crowd  felt  that  every  man  had  done  his  best,  and 
given  an  exhibition  of  skill  and  pluck  seldom  witnessed, 
and  were  determined  to  slight  no  one  in  the  award  of 
their  praise. 

But  it  was  evident  that  if  the  Lad  had  won  the 
prize,  the  Trapper,  in  the  latent  thought  of  the  specta- 
tors, still  carried  the  honors  of  the  race ;  for  the  ease 
with  which  he  had  pulled  the  race  up  to  the  moment 
of  the  catastrophe,  and  the  astonishing  exhibition  of 
strength  which  had  caused  it,  had  made  such  an  im- 
pression on  every  one,  that  all  were  unanimous  in  the 
feeling  that,  but  for  the  mishap,  the  old  man  would 
surely  have  won  the  prize  himself.  As  to  the  exhibi- 
tion of  the  skill  and  energy  of  the  Lad,  there  was  but 
one  opinion  ;  nothing  like  it  had  ever  been  seen. 
The  distance  he  was  behind  when  the  Trapper  yelled 
for  him  to  pull ;  the  weight  of  his  boat,  increased  as 
it  was  by  the  weight  of  his  hound ;  the  vim  and  grit 
with  which  the  two  professionals  fought  it  out ;  all 
these  points  and  others  were  mentioned  by  the  crowd 
in  swift  succession,  and  the  more  they  thought  of  it 
the  more  astonishing  did  the  performance  seem.  Had 
they  not  seen  it,  they  would  not  have  believed  it. 
The  professionals  themselves  said  that  they  did  not 
understand  it.  That  he  came  in  ahead  they  admitted, 
but  how  he  did  it  they  could  not  tell.  The  "  silent  " 
partner,  when  questioned  by  his  panting  companions 
themselves,  took  the  "  Victoria  "  he  was  coolly  smok- 
ing from  his  mouth,  drew  them  quietly  aside,  and 
while  a  gleam  came  into  his  eyes,  said :  — 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  233 

'^  The  fool  has  the  champion  stroke  of  the  world  ! 
1  saw  it  as  he  went  clown  the  lake."  And  then  he 
looked  steadily  for  a  moment  into  the  anxious  faces  of 
his  friends,  knocked  the  ashes  from  his  cigar  and  said 
in  the  calmest  of  tones  :   "  Don't  worry.    /  hedrjed  !  " 

At  the  landing  the  tumult  was  uproarious.  Above 
the  heads  of  the  jam  the  countenance  and  shoulders 
of  the  Trapper  could  be  seen,  while  his  arm  was 
stretched  to  its  fullest  length  to  reach  the  extended 
hand  of  Herbert,  who  was  vainly  struggling  to  get  to 
his  side. 

"  Yis,  yis,  boy  !  "  shouted  the  Trapper,  "  I  know 
what  ye  would  say,  but  luck  was  agin  me.  It  was 
the  Lad's  day  for  sartin.  Did  ye  see  him  pull,  Henry, 
arter  I  yelled  at  him  ?  Was  there  ever  secli  a  stroke 
and  sech  a  gather  on  the  'arth  afore  !  Didn't  I  tell  ye 
we'd  have  some  fun  on  this  trip  ?  And  the  pond  of 
the  beavers,  —  do  ye  remember  the  pond  of  the  beavers, 
boy  ? "  And  the  old  man  laughed  with  extended 
mouth,  while,  in  the  ecstasy  of  his  happiness,  he  con- 
tinued to  Avring  the  hand  of  his  companion,  whose 
face  was  as  radiant  as  his  own,  and  whose  grasp  was 
nearly  as  strong. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  Lad  was  sitting  in  his  boat, 
with  his  face  still  white  from  the  effects  of  his  recent 
effort,  and  shrinkinof  timidlv  back  from  the  extended 
hands  that  Avould  fain  have  lifted  him  bodily  upon 
their  shoulders  and  borne  him  into  the  hotel  in 
triumph. 

"  Stand  aside,  stand  aside  !  "  shouted  the  Trapper, 


234  ADTBOXDACK  TALES. 

as  he  pushed  his  way  through  the  jam  as  if  they  who 
composed  it  had  been  only  reeds  on  a  marsh,  "  stand 
aside  for  a  minit  and  let  the  arms  of  the  man  he  saved 
from  bitter  thoughts  lift  the  boy  from  the  boat. 
Come,  boy,"  continued  the  Trapper,  "  let  the  man 
who  lost  the  priz3  by  his  foolishness  carry  ye  ashore, 
and  bear  ye  to  the  jedges,  who  be  waitin'  to  give  ye 
the  prize." 

So  saying,  the  old  man,  with  no  more  effort  than  if 
he  had  been  lifting  a  babe,  swung  the  Lad  up  to  his 
shoulders,  and  facing  the  crowd  he  shouted :  — 

"  Here  be  the  man  who  calls  himself  '  The  Man  Who 
Don't  Know  Much,'  but  that  he  knows  enough  to  pull 
a  four-mile  race  is  mortally  sartin.  And  when  he 
comes  out  agin  with  his  pelts,  I  know  ye  will  remem- 
ber his  deed  this  day,  and  treat  him  as  he  desarves ; 
for  he  has  made  good  the  honor  of  the  woods  agin 
strangers,  and  kept  us  who  be  of  the  wilderness, 
whether  trappers  or  guides,  from  shame." 

The  answering  cheer  of  the  men  who  were  around 
him,  rising  loud  and  long,  satisfied  the  Trapper,  and 
as  he  started  up  the  bank  and  pushed  on  to  the  front 
of  the  hotel  where  the  judges  were,  he  said  : 

'^  Ye  hear  'em,  lad,  ye  hear  'em  !  There'll  be  no 
more  laughin'  at  ye  when  ye  bring  out  yer  pelts,  for 
ye  be  a  man  among  men  arter  this,  for  mortals  git 
fame  by  an  act,  and  a  single  deed  can  keep  their  mem- 
ory better  than  the  hewed  stuns  in  the  grave-yards  of 
the  settlements.  Here  I  be,  and  here's  the  lad,"  said 
the  Old  Trapper,  as  he  placed  the  boy  by  his  side  in 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  235 

front  of  the  judges.     ^'  Here's  the  lad  who  won  the 
race,  and  it  may  be  ye  have  somethin'  to  say  to  huii." 

"  Young  man,"  said  the  chairman,  who  stood  hold- 
inof  a  beautiful  rifle  in  his  hand,  of  the  breech-loadino* 
pattern  whose  fame  for  accuracy  and  range  had  just 
begun  to  challenge  the  admiration  of  the  world,  as  it 
has  since  retained  it,  "  young  man,  who  are  you  ?  " 

The  Lad  lifted  his  eyes  from  the  ground  on  which 
they  had  been  steadfastly  fixed,  and  looking  timidly 
into  the  face  of  the  speaker,  said  in  a  deprecating 
voice,  "  I  be  The  Man  Who  Don't  Know  Much." 

The  sfentleman  reo^arded  him  for  a  moment  amid  a 
stillness  which  enabled  each  word  to  be  plainly  heard 
by  every  person  in  the  immense  throng,  and  then 
said  :  — 

"  Where  were  you  born,  my  boy,  and  where  are 
your  parents?  " 

^'  I  was  born  by  the  sea  in  the  State  of  Connecticut," 
responded  the  Lad  in  his  peculiar,  quiet,  halting  man- 
ner of  speech,  "  where  father  lives  still,  I  guess,  but 
mother  has  gone  away  into  heaven." 

A  sliofht  tremble  of  ao^itation  rustled  throuoh  the 
crowd  at  the  answer  of  the  Lad  ;  and  one  old  chap 
standing  in  the  inner  circle,  and  whose  highly  colored 
visao'e  o-ave  unmistakable  evidence  of  his  habits, 
jammed  his  thumb  and  forefinger  into  his  eyes,  and, 
passing  them  downward,  blew  a  clarion  blast  from  his 
nose,  muttering  something  about  the  "  blasted  sun 
shining  into  a  feller's  eyes  so  he  can't  see  any- 
thin'." 


236  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

-  "  Where  did  you  learn  to  row,  and  who  taught  you 
your  stroke  ?"  said  the  gentleman. 

"  I  never  learned  to  row,  as  I  know  of,"  replied  the 
Lad,  "  and  no  one  ever  told  me  about  a  stroke  ;  but  I 
always  loved  to  be  on  the  water,  for  the  water  never 
laughs  at  me,  nor  calls  me  names,  and  I  guess  it  come 
sort  of  natural  for  me  to  pull  a  boat." 

"  That's  it,  jedge,  that's  it,"  interrupted  the  Trap- 
per. "  It  comes  nateral  for  the  lad  to  pull  an  oar, 
and  the  Lord  has  sartinly  gin  him  gifts  at  rowin'  as 
he  has  the  otter  at  divin',  and  a  beaver  in  steerin'  ; 
for  there's  an  old  dog  beaver  on  a  leetle  pond,  nigh 
the  Dreary  Lake,  that  manages  to  steer  himself  with- 
out a  tail,  for  he  left  it  in  my  trap  two  year  agone, 
and  a  beaver  must  sartinly  be  gifted  in  steerin'  ef  he 
can  navigate  himself,  especially  in  a  current,  Avithout 
his  tail.  Yis,  especially  in  a  current,"  reiterated  the 
Trapper,  and  he  laughed  to  himself  at  his  own  conceit. 

"  Well,  young  man,"  continued  the  gentleman, 
"  you  have  certainly  won  the  race,  and  in  a  most 
wonderful  manner  ;  for  you  have  won  it  against  men 
who  make  the  art  of  rowing  a  study,  and  follow  it  as 
a  profession.  And  you  are  entitled  to  this  beautiful 
rifle  which  was  offered  as  the  prize  to  him  who  should 
win  the  race.      Can  you  shoot  any,  young  man?  " 

"  I  can't  shoot  as  well  as  Henry,  or  John  Norton," 
said  the  Lad ;  "  and  I  suppose  there  are  many  men 
here  who  can  shoot  better  than  I  can  ;  but  I  like  to 
shoot,  and  I  shoot  a  great  deal  better  than  I  did  a 
year  ago." 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  237 

*^Well,  well,  my  boy,  I'm  glad  to  hear  that  you  love 
to  shoot,  for  this  rifle  has  been  thoroughly  tested  by 
the  maker,  and  he  says  it  will  shoot  a  mile  and  kill. 
And  in  presenting  it  to  you,  in  the  name  of  the 
donors,  allow  me,  in  their  name,  to  express  the  hope 
that  you  will  find  it  a  noble  piece,  and  learn  to 
shoot  as  well  as  you  can  row."  And  the  gentleman 
advanced  and  placed  the  rifle  in  the  hands  of  the  Lad, 
and  then  stepping  back,  stood  as  if  expecting  some 
reply. 

The  Lad  stood  a  moment  holding  the  prize  in  his 
hands  as  if  he  could  not  realize  that  it  was  his,  and 
then,  as  if  his  mind  had  slowlv  taken  in  the  meaninof 
of  wdiat  had  been  said  to  him,  and  more  yet,  of  the 
silence,  he  looked  timidly  up  at  the  crowd,  and  then 
he  turned  his  eyes  appealingly  to  the  Trapper.  The 
old  man  understood  the  entreaty  of  the  look  and 
said  :  — 

"'' Ye  see,  jedge,  the  lad  isn't  much  at  talkin', 
for  his  gifts  don't  lie  in  that  direction;  but  ye  may 
take  the  word  of  an  old  man  that  he  thanks  ye  all  the 
same  and  will  sartinly  use  the  piece  as  a  man  should 
who  'arns  his  livin'  by  the  use  of  his  wepon  and  his 
traps.  And  now,  if  ye  haven't  more  to  say  to  the 
lad,  we'll  go  to  our  camp,  for  it's  too  crowded  and 
noisy  here  to  suit  one  of  my  gifts,  and  besides  the  sun 
is  settin',  and  the  wood  for  the  night  must  be  got  in, 
and  supper  cooked.  Come,  Henry ;  come,  lad ;  let's 
aw^ay  to  the  boat." 

So    saying,    the    Trapper    and  his  two   companions 


238  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

entered  their  boat,  the  Lad  at  the  oars,  and  the 
Trapper  at  the  paddle,  as  nsual,  while  Herbert  and 
the  hound  occupied  the  middle.  The  boat  turned 
the  angle  of  the  wharf  and  headed  up  the  lake,  the 
Trapper  wielding  his  paddle  with  a  natural  grace  that 
no  art  could  imitate,  and  the  Lad  pulling  the  same 
long,  leisurely  stroke  that  had  drawn  the  eyes  of  the 
professionals  to  it  the  day  before.  Not  until  the  boat 
had  disappeared  behind  the  Three  Sisters  did  the 
crowd  cease  to  watch  its  receding  form,  but  Avhen 
it  had  passed  behind  the  islands  and  disappeared  from 
view,  the  throng  broke  up  into  knots,  and  until  late  in 
the  evening  continued  to  canvass  the  day's  proceed- 
in  g^s. 

It  was  evening,  and  on  an  island  that  lay  half-way 
dow^n  the  lake  our  three  friends  had  made  their  camp 
and  were  now  seated  around  their  cheerful  fire,  con- 
versing upon  the  great  event  of  the  day.  The  strong 
blaze  brought  out  their  faces  in  clear  relief,  revealing 
the  features  of  each,  and  even  the  changing  expres- 
sions of  their  countenances  as  they  came  and  went,  as 
the  conversation  proceeded.  Now  and  then  the  coun- 
tenance of  tlie  sturdy  Old  Trapper  would  yield  to  the 
pressure  of  his  inward  mirth,  and  his  mouth  would 
open  to  its  widest  stretch,  while  his  body  swayed  to 
and  fro,  showdng  that  he  was  fairly  convulsed  with 
laughter  although  his  mouth  emitted  scarcely  a  sound. 
His  two  companions  yielded  with  all  the  abandon  of 
woodmen  to  the  moods  of  their  companion,  and  the 
roars  of  Herbert  and  the  shorter  and  quicker  cachin- 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  239 

nations  of  the  Lad  revealed  how  entirely  they  were 
surrendering  themselves  to  the  hilarity  of  the  occasion. 

"  I  tell  ye,  lad,"  exclaimed  the  Old  Man,  ''  ye  gin 
it  to  'em  in  a  way  they'll  never  forgit  till  their  dyin' 
day.  I  sartinly  thought  etarnity  had  come  when  I 
went  into  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  for  I'd  sot  onto 
them  oars  in  a  business  sort  of  a  v;ay,  and  the  thump 
I  got  riled  me  tremendously.  I  was  madder  than  a 
hornet  punched  out  of  his  nest  by  a  pole,  when  I  ris 
up,  and  I  felt  like  a  Huron  at  a  war  dance.  They 
act'ally  say  that  I  flourished  them  oars  as  a  Dutch 
woman  does  her  broom-stick  when  a  neicj-hbor's  cow  is 
rummaging  among  the  bean-pods  in  her  garden.  Did 
I  do  it,  Henry  ?     Tell  me,  boy,  did  I  act'ally  do  it  ?  " 

"  You  did,  for  certain,"  answered  Herbert,  laugh- 
ing until  he  fairly  choked  ;  "  yes,  you  did  flourish 
them  over  your  head  like  whip-sticks,  and  you  fairly 
hopped  up  and  down  in  the  boat  as  if  you  were  crazy, 
John  Norton,  although  at  the  time  no  one  noticed  it ; 
for  you  see  we  Avere  all  mightily  wrought  up,  and 
what  seems  funny  to  think  of  now  that  it  is  all  over, 
seemed  only  natural  and  fitting  at  the  moment  it 
occurred.  I  never  saw  such  excitement,  and  doubt  if 
I  ever  do  ao^ain.  I  was  cool  enouo;h  until  vour  row- 
locks  gave  way,  but  then  I  became  as  wild  as  the  rest. 
My  own  ribs  seemed  to  crack  when  you  went  into  the 
bottom  of  your  boat." 

"  Did  they,  boy !  did  they !  "  ejaculated  the  Trap- 
per ;  "  you  see,  I  had  reckoned  for  sartin  on  yer 
guide's  winnin';  Henry,  for  the  boy  has  a  stroke  eena- 


240  ADIIiOXDACK  TALES. 

most  as  good  as  yourn,  and  he's  a  ripper  to  pull,  and 
I  thouofht  the  race  was  in  our  own  hands.  I  had 
detarmined  the  young  man  should  win,  as  he  sartinly 
would,  hadn't  it  been  for  that  pesky  oar ;  but  when  I 
seed  him  roll  into  the  lake,  and  I  heerd  the  sound  of 
yer  voice,  Henry,  callin'  on  me  to  let  out,  it  stirred 
every  drop  of  blood  in  my  skin,  and  I  pulled  an 
onreasonable  stroke.  When  I  called  on  the  lad  my 
grit  was  up  as  ef  I  was  in  the  smoke  of  a  scrimmage, 
with  the  odds  agin  me.  Lord-a-massy  !  how  strange 
it  is  that  a  mortal  man,  and  a  man  whose  head  be 
whitenin',  too,  should  git  so  'arnest  over  secli  a  playful 
matter." 

"  I  think,"  said  the  Lad,  "  I  ought  to  give  the  rifle 
to  Fred.  I  know  he  wanted  it  badly,  and  he  would 
have  won  the  race  if  it  hadn't  been  for  his  oar's  break- 
ing. Don't  you  think  I  had  better  give  it  to  him, 
John  Norton  ?  " 

"  Not  by  a  long  shot !  "  returned  the  Trapper, 
''  ye  won  the  race,  and  won  it  when  none  of  the  rest 
of  us  could  win  it,  and  the  rifle  is  yourn  by  right, 
and  yourn  it  shall  be  till  yer  dyin'  day.  And  may 
the  Lord  of  marcy  keep  that  day  far  from  ye,  lad, 
till  yer  face  be  as  wrinkled  and  yer  head  be  as 
white  as  mine." 

'^  But,"  responded  the  Lad,  whose  face  became 
almost  beautiful  as  the  light  of  the  sweet  thought 
within  him  flashed  into  it,  fairly  illuminating  its 
ordinarily  simple  listlessness,  "  the  Bible  says  it's 
'  more  -  blessed  -  to  -  give  -  than  -  to  -  receive,'  and  I'm 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  241 

sure  it's  an  easy  way  to  be  blessed  to  give  away  a 
gun  that  only  cost  me  a  few  strokes  to  win." 

"  I  tell  ye,  lad,"  exclaimed  the  Trapper,  "  the 
Lord  forgive  me  for  sayin'  it,  ef  it  be  wrong, — 
but  the  Bible  don't  say  anythin'  about  boat  racin', 
and  yer  Scriptur'  will  be  the  death  of  ye  yit.  No, 
no,  ye  don't  git  the  true  trail  of  the  varses,  lad.  It's 
downright  foolishness,  and  I  conceit  that  it's  act'ally 
sin  for  a  young  man  like  ye  to  give  away  a  rifle  that's 
worth  forty  mink  skins  and  can  send  a  bullit  a  mile 
and  kill.  I  tell  ye,  lad,  the  Scriptur'  be  all  right  ef 
ye  understand  it  and  be  strong-headed  enough  to  hold 
it  steady,  but  ef  ye  ain't,  it's  like  a  overloaded  rifle  to 
a  weak  shoulder  :  it  hurts  the  man  who  uses  it  more 
than  it  does  the  feller  at  the  other  eend.  Good 
common  sense  is  better  than  Scriptur'  in  matters  of 
rifles  and  rowin'." 

"  But,"  returned  the  Lad,  "  it  will  do  Fred  more 
good  than  it  will  me,  besides  —  " 

'^  How  do  ye  know  ?  How  do  ye  know  ?  "  inter- 
rupted the  Trapper,  "  how  do  ye  know  that  the  boy 
has  any  gifts  in  handlin'  the  piece,  and  what  right  has 
any  man  with  a  grooved  barrel  ef  the  Lord  hasn't  gin 
him  the  right  idee  of  the  wepon." 

"  But  how  do  you  know  I  can  shoot  any  better  than 
Fred  can  ?     You  never  saw  me  shoot." 

"  Hoot,  hoot,"  retorted  the  Trapper,  '^  didn't  ye 
show  me  a  roll  of  skins  ye  had  hid  in  the  holler  pine 
on  Tomahawk  P'int,  and  didn't  I  note  that  them 
which  didn't  show  marks  of  the  trap  had  three  holes 


242  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

in  the  head,  instead  of  the  two  the  Creatur  had  put  in 
'em.  A  man  must  have  gifts  to  put  his  bulht  through 
the  head  of  a  mink,  in  the  shade  and  shine  of  actual 
shootin' ;  and  when  ye  emptied  yer  piece  at  Pine 
Ridge,  day  afore  yesterday,  to  freshen  yer  loadin', 
didn't  I  see  the  knot  ye  shot  at,  and  that  ye  drove  yer 
bulHt  into  the  very  hole  where  the  stem  once  stood. 
I  sartinly  don't  conceit  that  ye  can  shoot  as  well  as 
Henry  here,  whose  gift  he  onusual,  and  whose  piece 
be  parfect ;  nor  as  well  as  myself,  whose  eye  has 
knowed  leetle  but  the  sights  for  sixty  year,  and  whose 
narves  has  been  steadied  on  the  scout,  and  in  the 
scrimmage  ;  but  ye  sartinly  have  the  gift  in  ye ;  and 
while  I  don't  expect  ye  will  ever  handle  the  rifle  as  ye 
can  the  oars  —  still,  be  governed,  lad,  by  the  jedg- 
ment  of  an  old  man  and  don't  fool  away  a  promisin' 
piece  for  the  sake  of  a  few  varses  of  Scriptur'.  For 
although  it  don't  load  at  the  right  eend  to  suit  my 
notions,  yit  Henry  says  the  barrel  is  a  good  un,  and 
ye  remember  that  the  jedge  said  it  would  carry  the 
lead  furder  than  man  could  see." 

"  What  about  the  match  to-morrow?  "  queried  Her- 
bert. "  Didn't  I  hear  you  half -promise  the  judges 
you  would  come  down  and  shoot  for  the  purse,  and  if 
you  do,  w4iy  shouldn't  the  lad  shoot  with  the  rifle  he 
has  won  to-day  ?  " 

"  Yis,  yis,  Henry,"  replied  the  old  man,  ''  I  did  sort 
of  promise,  —  that  is,  I  said  we  w^ould  come  down  and 
see  the  shootin',  but  I  didn't  say  we  would  shoot,  and 
I  told  'em  why.     For  I  didn't  think  it  fair  that  you 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  243 

and  me  should  shoot  agin  the  boys  and  the  city  folks, 
for  ye  know  they  couldn't  git  a  thing  ef  we  was  on- 
reasonable  enough  to  shoot  agin  'em.  —  Lord-a-massy, 
how  careless  they  do  handle  their  paddles  on  the  Sara- 
nac  !  That  bungler  has  grazed  the  rim  of  his  boat 
three  times  in  as  many  minits,  or  my  ears  have  growed 
up.  A  bell  on  the  eend  of  his  paddle-staff  wouldn't 
make  more  noise.  Do  the  fools  think  we  be  asleep 
like  a  Frencher  in  a  drunken  fit,  that  they  must  make 
sech  a  racket  comin'  into  our  camp." 

"  Camp  ahoy  !  "   cried  a  voice  from  the  darkness. 

"  What  of  it,  what  of  it  ? "  returned  the  Trapper. 
"  Don't  stay  there  callin'  with  a  voice  ye  might  hear 
to  the  Upper  Carry.  We  heerd  ye  comin'  afore  ye 
started,  and  the  noise  ye  made  as  ye  came  up  the  lake 
eenamost  drowned  our  talkin'.  Come  in,  come  in,  and 
tell  us  what  ye  want !  " 

"  You  don't  compliment  the  paddling  of  my  guide 
much,  John  Norton,"  said  a  man,  as  he  sprang  ashore 
and  joined  the  group  at  the  fire ;  "  we  didn't  expect 
you  knew  of  our  appearance  until  I  hailed,  for  I'm 
sure  we  came  in  very  still  —  " 

"  Still  !  "  interrupted  the  old  man,  ''  I  heerd  the 
gratin'  of  his  paddle  shaft  agin  the  boat  when  ye 
passed  the  Three  Sisters,  and  that's  a  mile  away  ef  it's 
a  rod.  And  ye've  spit  a  dozen  times  sence  then,  ef  ye 
have  once,  not  to  speak  of  the  noise  ye  make  when  ye 
hitched  on  yer  seat,  and  the  crack  of  yer  match  when 
ye  lit  yer  cigar.  I've  seed  the  time  on  this  lake  when 
a  dozen  Huron  canoes  would  have  been  hangin'  round 


244  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

yer  wake  had  ye  so  much  as  rubbed  yer  hands  on  the 
legs  of  yer  breeches  or  moved  yer  foot  on  the  bottom 
of  yer  boat  on  a  night  like  this ;  but  what  do  ye 
want,  and  what  can  we  do  for  ye  ?  " 

"  I  have  come,  "  said  the  man,  "  by  the  request  of 
the  judges  of  the  matches  to-morrow,  to  urge  you  and 
your  two  companions  to  enter  the  list  and  shoot  for 
the  prizes.  The  shooting  will  be  at  all  distances,  from 
fifty  to  a  thousand  yards,  and  there's  twenty  prizes  in 
all,  from  a  flask  of  poAvder  to  a  purse  of  a  hundred 
dollars  in  gold,  and  everybody  says  you  must  come  or 
the  affair  will  be  a  failure.  All  of  us  have  heard  of 
your  skill,  Old  Trapper,  and  hundreds  of  people,  some 
of  them  foreigners,  have  stayed  over  just  because  you 
are  to  shoot,  and  the  judges  say  you  must  come." 

For  a  minute  or  two  the  Trapper  made  no  reply, 
but  sat  gazing  into  the  fire,  then  lifting  his  eyes  to 
the  face  of  the  messenger  he  said,  "  Now,  friend,  John 
Norton  never  lost  a  chance  to  shoot  in  his  life  ef  it 
was  just  and  reasonable  for  him  to  do  it,  and  many 
be  the  matches  I  have  shot,  and  many  be  the  pounds 
of  powder  and  bars  of  lead  I  have  won,  not  to  speak 
of  money  and  other  things  which  stir  the  pride  and 
vanity  of  man  ;  but  I  ax  ye  ef  it  would  be  fair  to  the 
rest,  for  Henry,  here,  whose  piece  be  parfect  and  gifts 
onusual,  and  me,  who  have  used  a  rifle  for  nigh  on 
seventy  year,  to  shoot  agin  boys  and  city  folks  who 
can't  be  expected  to  know  how  to  bring  out  the  fine 
p'ints  of  a  rifle,  and  who  have  sot  their  hearts  on  the 
prizes  c 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH  245 

"  But,  John  Norton/'  returned  the  man  earnestly, 
"  you  mistake  —  some  of  the  best  shots  in  the  woods, 
and  half  a  dozen  gentlemen  from  the  cities,  with 
great  reputation  for  skill,  are  entered.  And  better 
yet,  two  Englishmen,  who  have  won  prizes  in  their 
own  land  and  have  never  been  beaten,  have  entered 
also.  Indeed  the  bettino^  is  two  to  one  in  their  favor. 
And  the  ladies  are  crazy  to  see  you  shoot,  and 
charged  me  to  say  that  you  must  come  down  and 
contend  for  their  prizes,  at  least,  a  hundred  golden 
dollars  in  a  silken  purse  and  a  horn  of  solid  silver 
with  a  deer  and  hound  in  full  chase  engraved  on  it. 
If  you  don't  come  down  they  declare  they  will  come 
up  in  a  body  and  bring  you  down  in  the  morning." 

"  Well,  well,"  returned  the  Trapper  laughing, 
"  ef  the  wimmin  folks  be  raally  in  'arnest  in  the  matter, 
and  ef  'twill  make  them  happier  to  see  an  old  man 
shoot,  they  shall  have  their  way  for  sartin ;  so  tell 
them  that  we  will  come  down  and  jine  in  the  fun, 
me  and  Henry  and  the  lad,  all  three  of  us.  The 
gold  is  nothin',  but  the  Englishers  shan't  git  the 
horn  ef  a  man  who  has  spent  his  life  in  the  woods 
can  win  it.  But  I  give  ye  notice  —  and  ye  may  tell  'em 
so  —  that  the  raal  trial  will  be  atween  Henry  and  me." 

"  They  want  the  lad  to  bring  the  rifle  he  won 
to-day  and  shoot  too,"  said  the  messenger  as  he 
turned  toward  his  boat. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  the  Trapper.  "  The  lad  will  be 
there,  and  they'll  hear  the  voice  of  the  piece  when 
the  talkin'  begins." 


THE  STORY  OF 

THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH. 

Part  II. 


CHAPTER     IX. 

THE    SHOOTING    MATCH. 

"And  still  as  each  repeated  pleasure  tired, 
Succeeding  sports  the  mirthful  band  inspired." 

—  Goldsmith. 

The  morning  opened  bright  and  clear,  and  every 
indication  pointed  to  an  eventful  day.  The  best 
marksmen  of  the  woods  were  there,  guides  and  sports- 
men alike,  and  among  them  were  not  a  few  known  to 
be  extraordinarv  shots  and  o;ood  at  all  distances.  The 
prizes  were  numerous  and  so  divided  among  different 
classes  that  nearly  every  one  who  had  skill  in  shoot- 
ino'  mio'ht  enter  for  some  one  of  them,  with  a  fair 
expectation  of  success.  Local  pride  and  personal 
favoritism  were  warmly  enlisted  in  connection  with 
many  of  the  contestants,  and  each  group  of  heated 
partisans  warmly  backed  their  man.  The  two  great 
prizes  were  to  be  shot  for  after  the  minor  ones  had 
been  allotted.  The  former  was  called  the  "  Lonor 
Range"  prize,  because  the  distances  to  be  shot  by 
the  contestants  for  it  were  five  hundred  and  one 
thousand  vards.  This  was  a  distance  far  oTeater  than 
any  of  the  guides,  or  sportsmen  either,  had  ever  seen 
shot,  and  the  majority  of  them  unhesitatingly  declared 
that  "  there  wasn't  a  rifle  made  that  could  throw  a 
bullet  a  thousand  yards." 


250  ADIRONDACK   TALES. 

One  old  fellow  known  as  "  Old  Bill,"  wliose  reputa- 
tion for  close  shooting  and  hard  drinking  was  uni- 
versal, declared  that  "  a  feller  would  have  to  climb  a 
tree  to  see  the  mark  at  sech  a  distance."  And  when 
pressed  by  a  young  man  with  the  assertion  that  the 
Englishmen  would  certainly  shoot  the  distance,  ad- 
mitted that  "  them  darned  Englishers  might  possibly 
do  it,  if  they  had  fetched  in  a  cannon,  but  no  regu- 
lar rifle,  sech  as  a  decent  man  wanted  to  lift,  could 
throw  lead  any  sech  distance,  nohow." 

Indeed,  it  was  universally  understood  by  the  crowd 
that  this  long-range  prize  was  especially  gotten  up  for 
the  "  furriners,"  as  the  guides  called  them,  and  that 
no  one  would  enter  ao;ainst  them.  This  had  been 
the  feeling  up  to  the  time  the  messenger  returned 
from  the  Trapper's  camp;  but  when  he  got  in,  and 
standing  on  the  front  steps  of  the  hotel  announced 
to  the  hundreds  who  had  been  eagerly  awaiting  his 
coming,  what  John  Norton  had  told  him  to  say  — 
which  he  did,  like  a  true  herald,  word  for  word  —  the 
state  of  opinion  underwent  a  sudden  change,  and  a 
great  excitement  sprang  up.  If  the  announcement 
had  simply  been  that  the  Trapper  himself  was  to 
shoot,  it  would  have  entirely  changed  the  aspect  of 
things,  but  when  it  was  proclaimed  that  Herbert  w\as 
to  join  in  the  shooting,  and  that  the  Lad  would 
compete,  with  his  new  rifle,  it  was  felt  by  all  that 
new,  unknow^n,  but  potent  elements  had  been  intro- 
duced into  the  problem.  As  to  the  abilities  of  the 
Lad,  all  were  in   entire  ignorance ;  but  after  a  thor- 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  251 

ough  canvassing  of  the  possibilities,  the  prospects 
were  pronounced  as  against  him :  for  his  pliysical 
shape,  his  youth,  and  timidity  were  all  considered  as 
precluding  the  possibility  of  success  against  such  men 
as  he  must  contend  with.  Still,  every  one  felt  kindly 
toward  him  and  wished  him  luck. 

Of  Herbert  more  was  known,  and  what  was  known 
was  in  his  favor.  Gentlemen  there  were  who  had 
seen  him  shoot  in  target  practice  on  the  club  ground, 
and  some  of  them  in  prize  matches,  and  they  declared 
he  had  never  yet  lost  a  match,  and,  barring  accidents, 
could  not  be  beaten  by  anybody  at  long-range  shoot- 
ing, they  didn't  care  who  the  man  might  be.  Guides 
were  there  who  had  seen  him  shoot  in  actual  hunting, 
by  day  and  night,  in  heat  and  cold,  on  land  and  when 
tossing  about  in  his  light  boat  on  uneven  waters ;  and 
with  these  there  was  but  one  opinion,  and  that  was, 
that,  shooting  his  own  rifle,  he  was  the  quickest  and 
surest  shot  that  ever  came  into  the  woods,  and  that 
old  John  Norton  himself  couldn't  beat  him.  These 
views  they  backed  to  the  full  extent  of  their  means. 

On  the  other  hand,  many  —  and  these  represented 
the  majority  —  believed  that  the  Englishmen  would 
certainly  win  the  long-range  prize,  and  that  the  Trap- 
per would  as  surely  take  the  silver  horn.  But  wdiat- 
ever  might  be  the  views  of  the  individuals  that  com- 
posed the  crowd,  all  were  agreed  in  the  opinion  that 
the  morrow  would  prove  a  great  event,  and  the  shoot- 
ing be  the  best  ever  seen  in  the  wilderness. 

The  professionals  who  had  pulled  in  the  race  the 


252  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

day  before  had,  with  their  companion,  remained  over 
to  see  the  shooting,  and  for  the  "  excitement  of  the 
thing,"  as  the  imperturbable  gambler  affirmed.  But, 
for  once  in  his  life,  he  was  actually  in  doubt  how  to 
proceed,  and  his  disgust  was  correspondingly  pro- 
found ;  but  his  ears  w^ere  open  to  every  remark  made 
by  those  who  knew  anything  of  the  principal  parties  in 
the  match,  and  a  close  observer  might  have  noticed 
that,  leisurely  as  were  his  movements,  nevertheless  his 
quiet,  placid  face  could  be  seen  on  the  edge  of  every 
group  as  soon  as  it  was  formed.  At  last  he  drew  his 
companion '  aside  and  said  oracularly,  but  with  the 
quietest  of  tones  :  — 

"  Herbert  wins  the  Long  Range,  but  hedge  on  the 
Trapper.  The  Old  Trapper  Avill  probably  win  the 
horn,  but  hedge  heavy  on  Herbert."  So  saying  he 
took  the  cigar  from  his  moutli,  flung  it  into  the  grass, 
and  mounted  the  stairway  leading  to  his  room. 

There  was  one  matter  which  quickened  intensely 
the  interest  of  the  crowd  :  wdiile  the  conditions  of  the 
shooting  for  every  other  prize  were  duly  advertised  in 
the  programmes  which  had  been  posted  up  by  the 
committee  of  arrangements  in  every  convenient  local- 
ity, the  conditions  of  the  contest  for  the  silver  horn 
w^ere  not  announced,  save  that  it  was  stated  "  that  the 
shooting  for  this  prize,  given  by  the  fair  ladies  of  the 
hotel,"  as  the  announcement  gallantly  read,  ^'  would 
be  at  distances  not  exceeding  forty  rods,  and  must  be 
done  ofP  hand."  And  then  the  poster  significantly 
added ;  ^'  If  the  shooting  be  close  there  will  be  several 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  253 

contests  of  an  unusual  character,  which  will  not  be 
announced  until  after  the  emerg^encies  of  the  com- 
petition  elicit  them."  It  is  impossible  to  say  whether 
the  extraordinary  vao'ueness  of  the  announcement,  or 

I/O  " 

the  language  in  which  it  was  written,  caused  the  most 
comment  among  those  whose  education  had  been  of 
too  limited  a  character  to  make  their  tono-ues  familiar 

o 

with  polysyllabic  words.  The  probability  is  that  the 
feelings  of  the  largest  part  of  the  native  population 
were  expressed  by  a  young  guide  from  Brown's  Tract, 
who,  after  deliberately  and  rather  painfully  spelling 
out  the  "  Announcement,"  turned  to  a  companion  a 
little  less  cultured  than  himself,  with  the  startling 
interrogation  :  "  I  sai/,  Bill,  who  is  this  feller  they  call 
Emergencies,  anyway  ?  I  haint  never  heerd  of  him, 
has  you?  " 

It  was  ten  o'clock  of  the  morning,  and  the  shooting 
was  to  begin  at  half-past  ten.  The  several  distances 
had  all  been  measured,  the  targets  prepared,  the  mark- 
ers and  judges  appointed,  and  everything  was  ready. 
The  thousand-yard  range  had  been  measured  —  ap- 
proximately, —  and  it  stretched  from  the  lawn  in  front 
of  the  hotel  to  a  large  rock  on  the  opposite  side  of 
and  some  distance  up  the  lake.  From  the  wharf  to 
the  target-rock,  buoys  had  been  anchored,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  five  rods  apart,  into  which  little  flagstaffs, 
some  five  feet  high,  were  set,  w^hile  to  the  top  of  each 
was  attached  a  crimson-colored  streamer.  This  had 
been  done  at  the  request  of  the  Englishmen,  who 
feared  the  wind  mio-ht  arise  and  tliev  should  need  the 
flaofs  to  show  them  the  direction  and  force  of  it. 


254  ADIRONDACK   TALES. 

It  was  ten  o'clock  to  the  minute,  and  the  crowd, 
which  was  only  a  trifle  smaller  in  point  of  numbers 
than  on  the  preceding  day,  were  all  grouped  in  front 
of  the  hotel,  crowded  on  the  piazzas,  clustered  on  the 
roof,  or  located  in  whatever  position  offered  the  best 
opportunity  to  watch  the  firing,  and  to  note  the  results 
of  it.  They  were  evidently  waiting  the  appearance  of 
the  Trapper  and  his  companions,  for  the  buzz  of  con- 
versation was  constant  but  not  loud,  while  nearly  every 
face  was  turned  toward  the  point  at  which  the  coming 
boat  would  first  show  itself. 

All  at  once  from  the  roof  of  the  hotel  a  voice 
sounded  sliarj)  and  clear  :  — 

"  There  they  come  !  all  three  of  'em  ;  there  they 
come  !  " 

And  on  the  instant  the  murmur  of  conversation 
ceased,  and  every  eye  strained  itself  to  catcli  the  first 
glimpse  of  the  coming  boat.  An  instant  more  and  it 
came  sweeping  out  from  behind  the  island  in  full  view, 
the  Lad  pulling  a  stroke  longer  and  quicker  than  was 
his  wont,  as  if  thos3  in  the  boat  knew  not  the  precise 
time  and  feared  they  might  be  late ;  while  the  Trapper 
was  wielding  his  paddle  with  a  freedom  and  energy 
of  motion  that  matched  the  earnestness  of  the  Lad. 
Under  the  combined  pressure  of  the  oars  and  paddle 
the  boat  was  beino;  driven  throuoh  the  water  at  an 
astonishing  rate,  and  came  racing  onward  with  a  veloc- 
ity which  stirred  a  hundred  exclamations  from  the 
mouths  of  the  crowd. 

The  three  professionals  and  their  companions  were 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  255 

standiuof  on  the  outer  ano^le  of  the  Avharf,  watchino\ 
with  eyes  that  never  winked,  the  approach.  For  a 
full  minute  they  said  not  a  word,  and  then  the  o-amb- 
ler,  without  taking  his  eyes  from  the  boat,  said  :  — 

"  There  !  see  the  fool  row  !  Where  does  he  keep, 
in  his  slab-sided  body,  the  strength  to  pull  that  stroke 
so  easily  ?  and  where  did  he  get  the  hint  of  it  ?  I  tell 
you.  Bill,"  he  exclaimed,  with  the  least  tremor  of  excite- 
ment in  his  voice,  "  I've  seen  the  best  scullers  of  both 
countries,  and  I've  never  seen  a  stroke  I'd  put  up  so 
much  money  on  as  that  one  he  pulled  yesterday,  and 
which  you  can  get  the  hint  of  now.  What  a  joke 
'twould  be  if  the  fool  can  shoot,  too  !  Bill,  I'll  go  you 
two  hundred  to  one  he  beats  the  Enoiishmen  for  the 

o 

purse  ! 

"  Bob,"  returned  the  one  he  had  addressed,  "  you  are 
crazy.  The  stroke  is  a  winning  stroke,  for  he  proved 
it  yesterday  ;  but  it  doesn't  stand  to  reason  that  such 
a  lath-like,  long-legged,  awkward  cuss  can  shoot ;  and 
so  you  may  regard  that  little  matter  you  propose,  of 
two  to  one,  as  done.'" 

"  Done  it  is  !•"  retorted  the  other,  and  turning  away 
on  his  heel,  carelessly,  he  glanced  at  a  little  blue-cov- 
ered book  he  held  in  his  hand  and  muttered  :  "  Well, 
I  can't  lose  much  whoever  wins,  for  I've  hedo-ed  on 
them  all."  And  then  he  laughed  at —  from  his  point 
of  view  —  the  extraordinary  oddity  of  the  precaution. 

In  the  meantime  our  three  friends  in  the  boat  were 
holding  a  very  important  consultation,  and  one  which 
decided,  as  the  event  proved,  one  of  the  two  grand 
results  of  the  day. 


256  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

"  Easy,  lacl,  easy,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  ye  be  piillin' 
as  a  pig^eon  flies  when  he  sees  the  hunter's  smoke  and 
hears  the  whisthng  o£  the  lead  in  the  air.  Ye  have 
got  to  do  yer  best  to-day,  and  ye'll  need  a  steady  narve 
and  a  even  pulse  when  the  work  begins  ;  for  them  Eng- 
lishers  have  got  guns  eenamost  as  big  as  cannon,  they 
say,  and  can  hit  the  size  of  a  man's  head  furder  than 
they  can  see.  Do  ye  really  conceit,  Henry,  that  we 
had  better  all  three  shoot  for  the  puss  agin  the 
Britishers?" 

"  I  certainly  do,"  responded  Herbert.  ''  The  more 
we  are  the  better  our  chances ;  for  it  is  in  shooting  as 
it  is  in  rowing,  accidents  will  happen,  and  who  knows 
that  there  may  not  be  as  many  to-day  as  tliere  were 
yesterday ;  and  where  would  the  lad's  rifle  be  now  if 
the  two  hadn't  been  made  three  ?  Yes,  I  certainly 
think  we  should  all  enter  ;  for  the  English  gentlemen 
are  noted  shots  and  have  never  been  beaten,  and  the 
messen<rer  said  last  nio^lit  that  the  bettino;  was  two  to 
one  in  their  favor." 

'^  Who  cares  !  who  cares  !  "  exclaimed*  the  Trapper. 
"  I  tell  ye,  Henry,  there  isn't  a  Britisher  livin'  can 
beat  a  American  shootin',  ef  the  wepon  has  a  grooved 
barrel ;  but  still  I  like  the  jedgmatical  way  ye  talk,  for 
it  shows  ye  be  cautious,  and  caution  is  a  good  thing 
afore  a  scrimmage,  and  a  mighty  mean  thing  in  it. 
But  what  can  we  shoot  with,  boy?  for  though  the 
pieces  you  and  me  carry  be  as  parfect  as  man  ever 
made,  yit  they  can't  send  lead  the  whole  length  of  the 
Saranac,  for  sartin,  and  a  thousand  yard  be  a  bigger 


THE  MAX  WHO  DTDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  257 

distance  than  I  ever  sighted  for,  onless  it  be  now  and 
then  in  fun,  or  on  a  ventnr'.  " 

"We  will  use  the  lad's  rifle,  all  three  of  us," 
responded  Herbert.  "  The  conditions  give  each  con- 
testant his  choice  in  respect  to  the  rifle  he  uses ;  and 
all  we  have  to  do  is  to  name  his  gun  as  our  choice, 
when  we  enter  for  the  thousand  yards  prize." 

"  But  do  ye  think  the  lad's  gun  will  hold  up  to  that 
distance  ?  It  won't  weioh  an  ounce  more  than  ten 
pounds." 

"  It  isn't  the  weight  of  a  rifle,  John  Norton,  that 
decides  its  range,  but  the  way  it  is  made,  and  the 
quantity  of  j)owder  and  amount  of  lead  it  can  bear. 
I  have  a  gun  of  the  same  make  at  home  that  weighs 
only  eight  pounds,  and  I  have  shot  it  twelve  hundred 
yards,  and  put  every  bullet  of  the  string  into  the  size 
of  a  beaver's  hide." 

"  Well,  well,"  exclaimed  the  Trapper,  "  I  s'pose  I 
must  believe  ye,  Henry,  but  it  sartinly  seems  wonder- 
ful to  me  that  lead  can  be  throwed  so  fur  wdth  any 
sartinty.  But  what  about  the  sigh  tin'  of  the  piece, 
boy  ?  —  for  it's  no  better  nor  a  smooth  bore  ef  it  beant 
sighted  fust." 

"  I  thought  of  that,"  returned  the  young  man, 
"  but  we  can  manage  it.  You  see,  each  contestant  is 
allowed  three  '  sighting  shots,'  and  that  gives  us  nine, 
all  told,  and  it  will  go  hard  w^ith  us  if  we  can't  know 
where  w^e  are  shooting  before  the  ninth  shot,  especially 
as  the  range  is  across  the  water." 

"  Ay,  ay,  that  it  will.     I  w^arrant  ye  will  find  the 


258  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

centre  with  yer  three  hulHts  alone.  But  look,  boy, 
and  tell  me  what  be  the  meanin'  of  them  leetle  flaos 
fastened  to  the  logs  yender  ?  " 

"  Those  are  what  long-range  shooters  call  '  wind 
flags/  "  replied  Herbert,  "  and  they  are  very  useful, 
too,  when  the  wind  blows.  I  shot  a  match  last  fall 
when  I  had  to  allow  five  feet  for  the  '  drift '  of  my 
bullet,  and  I  won  the  match  simply  because  I  studied 
the  flaofs  better  than  the  others." 

"It's  reasonable,  yis,  it's  sartinly  reasonable,  what 
ye  say,  Henry,". said  the  Trapper  after  he  had  pondered 
the  matter  for  a  moment ;  "  and  still  as  it  is  now,  ye 
be  likely  to  need  them  afore  the  day  eends,  for  yester- 
day was  a  weather-breeder  for  sartin,  and  the  wind 
will  be  liftin'  by  spells  by  and  by,  or  natur'  forgits  her 
promises  over  night.  But  ef  the  wind  does  rise, 
Henry,  ye  must  intarpret  the  motions  of  the  flags  to 
me  and  the  lad,  for  we  be  ignorant  as  babes  of  their 
language.  Lord-a-massy  !  "  continued  the  old  man,  "  it 
will  be  strange  for  John  Norton  to  shoot  by  the  words 
of  another  and  not  by  what   his  own  eyes  tell  him  !  " 

By  this  time  the  boat  had  nearly  reached  the  wharf, 
and  amid  the  cheery  and  multitudinous  greetings  of 
the  throng,  prominent  over  all  being  the  greeting 
which  the  ladies,  from  window,  doorway,  and  piazza, 
with  fluttering  handkerchief  and  clapping  of  hands, 
gave  the  Old  Trapper,  whom  they  had,  wdth  that 
enthusiasm  for  which,  in  cases  where  their  feelings 
are  moved  by  strong  preference,  their  sex  is  noted, 
named  "  Our  Champion." 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  259 

In  the  midst  of  this  pleasant  recognition  the  Okl 
Trapper,  Herbert,  and  the  Lad  stepped  ashore,  and 
with  their  rifles  in  their  hands  proceeded  to  the  front 
of  the  hotel  where  stood  the  committee. 

"  Well,"  said  the  Trapper  as  he  and  his  companions 
swung  into  line  in  front  of  the  judges,  ''  here  be  me 
and  the  boys  armed  and  equipped  as  ye  see  for  sar- 
vice.  I  didn't  mean  to  barn  a  karnal  of  powder 
to-day,  but  last  night  yer  messenger  said  that  there 
was  to  be  a  puss  of  money  and  a  silver  horn  shot 
for,  and  that  the  wimmin  folks  want  to  see  an  old 
man,  whose  head  has  whitened  in  the  woods,  use  the 
wepon  a  leetle  which  he's  handled  for  sixty  year. 
And  so  I  said  to  him  that  me,  Henry  here,  and  the 
lad  would  come  down  and  jine  in  the  fun,  not 
enough  to  spile  the  sport  of  the  others,  but  jest 
enough  to  make  things  lively  a  leetle  —  especially  for 
the  Britishers,  which  he  told  us  was  goin'  to  have 
everything  their  own  way." 

"  What  do  you  want  to  shoot  for,  John  Norton," 
said  the  chairman  of  the  committee  of  arrangements, 
"  or  do  you  wish  to  compete  for  all  the  prizes  ?  " 

"  Lord  bless  you,  squire,"  exclaimed  the  Trapper, 
"  we  wouldn't  spile  the  boys'  sport  for  the  world. 
No,  no  !  let  the  people  shoot,  and  git  the  prizes  as 
they  can.  Henry  and  me  wouldn't  hinder  'em ;  but 
the 'lad,  here,  wants  a  leetle  change  to  support  his 
rifle  with ;  —  for  a  new  rifle  in  the  woods  is  a  good 
deal  like  a  new  wife  in  the  settlements,  it  takes  a  good 
deal  of  money  to  keep  it  goin';  and  me  and  Henry  sort 


260  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

of  thought  we'd  jest  jiiie  in  with  him  to  steady  his 
narves  a  bit  and  make  a  sure  thing  of  it.  So  ye  may 
put  us  three  down  for  that  puss  of  money.  Then, 
about  that  silver  horn,  ye  see  me  and  Henry  both 
want  it  bad,  and  it's  goin'  to  be  nip  and  tuck  at  ween 
us  which  shall  git  it  when  the  raal  shootin'  begins, 
and  I  sartinly  hope  ye  wont  set  up  any  barn  door  to 
shoot  at  like  that  on  the  rock  there,  but  give  us  some- 
thing small  enough  to  try  our  gifts,  that  the  ladies, 
here,  may  see  us  bring  out  the  fine  p'ints  of  the  rifle. 
So  ye  may  put  us  all  three  down  for  the  puss  and 
Henry  and  me  for  the  horn,  and  ye'll  sae  shootin' 
wutli  seein'  afore  the  Englishers  tote  them  both  off." 

It  was  one  o'clock,  and  eighteen  of  the  twenty 
prizes  had  been  shot  for,  won,  and  distributed.  The 
contest  in  several  cases  had  been  sharp,  the  result 
close,  and  not  a  little  extraordinary  shooting  had  been 
done.  Indeed,  the  average  had  been  very  high,  so 
high  that  it  won  from  the  Old  Trapper,  who,  with 
Herbert  and  the  Lad  had  closely  watched  the  several 
contests,  his  warmest  commendation. 

"  I  tell  ye,  Henry,"  said  he  as  the  firing  ceased,  "  I 
have  seed  more  good  shootin'  to-day  than  I  ever  seed 
in  the  settlements  afore.  Some  of  them  pieces  must 
be  nigh  on  to  parfect,  and  some  of  them  city  boys 
need  nothin'  but  edication  to  make  them  raally  larned 
and  useful  men.  But,  Lord  bless  me,  what  can  ye 
expect  from  a  boy  born  in  the  city  and  edicated  by 
the  school  teachers  of  the  settlements,  who  know 
nothin'  but  letters,  and  figures,  and  parsiu'.     Lord-a- 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'  T  KXO  W  MUCH  261 

massy,  Henry,  I've  seed  them  perfessers  that  couldn't 
tell  a  mmk  from  a  fisher,  or  the  difference  atween  a 
hound's  foot  and  a  wolf's  track.  It  sartinly  seems  sinful 
for  a  man  to  live  in  the  world  and  be  so  ignorant  of 
its  signs  and  its  ways.  Ye  be  the  only  one,  Henry,  I 
have  ever  met  that  had  the  knowledge  of  books  and 
of  natur',  too,  and  I  should  eenamost  doubt  —  " 

"  The  contests  for  the  Long  Range  prize  will  now 
begin.  The  several  contestants  will  take  their  places 
and  listen  to  the  rules  that  govern  the  shooting," 
shouted  the  chairman  of  the  committee  of  arrang^e- 
ments. 

In  a  moment  the  five  contestants  were  standinof  in 
front  of  the  judges,  and  the  rules  were  read  as 
follows  :  — 

"1.  The  shooting  to  be  at  two  distances  —  five 
hundred  and  one  thousand  yards. 

2.  Each  contestant  has  his  choice  of  rifles. 

3.  Shoot  any  way  they  please,  except  with  a  table 
rest. 

4.  Order  of  shooting  to  be  decided  by  lot. 

6.  Three  shots  allowed  at  each  range  for  sighting. 

6.  A  snap  or  miss-fire  to  count  as  a  shot. 

7.  A  string  to  consist  of  ten  shots,  —  measurement 
of  each  string  to  be  from  the  inner  edge  of  each  bullet 
hole  to  the  tack. 

8.  To  miss  the  target  altogether  rules  the  shooter 
out  of  the  match. 

9.  The  prize  to  be  awarded  to  the  man  with  the 
lowest  total  in  the  measurement  of  the  twenty  shots." 


262  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

Such  were  the  rules  as  read  by  the  chairman. 
After  reading  them  amid  a  profound  silence,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  insert  several  slips  of  paper  between  the 
leaves  of  a  book,  and,  holding  it  out  to  the  five  men 
in  front  of  him,  he  said  :  "  Gentlemen,  you  will  now 
draw  lots  for  the  order  in  which  you  will  shoot." 

The  slips  were  drawn,  and  it  was  found  that  the 
two  Englishmen  had  drawn  numbers  one  and  two  ; 
the  Lad  had  drawn  three ;  Herbert,  four ;  the  Old 
Trapper,  five. 

At  this  point  the  judge  announced  that  the  "sight- 
ing: "  shots  would  now  be  made.  The  Enolishmen 
fired  each  one  shot,  and  the  Avliite  disk  of  the  marker 
showed  them  within  eight  inches  of  the  tack,  —  seeing 
which  the  crowd  sent  up  a  roar  of  astonishment,  and 
the  marksmen  announced  that  they  didn't  care  to 
shoot  the  other  two  shots  allowed  by  the  rules.  The 
noise  had  scarcely  subsided  before  Herbert,  stretching 
himself  at  full  length  upon  the  ground,  and  resting 
the  barrel  of  the  Lad's  rifle  over  a  log  some  eight 
inches  in  diameter,  on  which  he  had  previously  laid 
his  hunting  jacket,  and  resting  with  his  elbows  braced 
in  the  form  of  a  V,  exploded  the  piece.  The  marker's 
disk  showed  the  shot  directly  in  line  two  feet  below 
the  tack. 

"Good  enough!"  said  the  Trapper,  "put  in 
another  cartridge,  and  h'ist  the  sight  a  leetle,  Henry. 
The  piece  has  sartinly  got  the  trail,  but  is  runnin'  with 
her  nose  a  leetle  low.  Give  her  a  lift,  boy,  and  try 
her  agin." 


THE  3IAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  263 

While  the  Old  Trapper  had  been  talkmg,  Herbert 
had  been  elevating  the  sight,  and  the  last  word  was 
hardly  out  of  the  old  man's  mouth  before  the  piece 
again  exploded,  and  the  '^  tick  "  of  the  striking  bullet 
came  sharply  back  through  the  still  air.  The  disk 
again  went  up,  and  this  time  rested  exactly  over  the 
centre  of  the  target. 

"  By  the  Lord,  Henry  !  "  exclaimed  the  old  man, 
while  a  smile  ht  up  his  wrinkled  face,  ''  the  gun's  a 
good  un  ef  she  does  load  at  the  wrong  eend.  She 
minds  the  sights  as  a  canoe  does  the  paddle,  and  she's 
got  a  voice  like  a  Dutch  woman  when  she's  angered. 
Wipe  her  out,  boy,  Avipe  her  out ;  for  a  smutty  barrel 
bothers  the  bullit,  and  we'll  show  the  Englishers  that 
a  gun  in  the  hands  of  a  woodsman  can  throw  lead  as 
straio'ht  as  a  cannon." 

o 

This  was  said  in  reference  to  the  stranofer's  rifles, 
that  were  of  heavy  English  make,  w^eighing  sixteen  or 
eighteen  pounds. 

"  What  rifle  are  you  to  shoot,  John  Norton  ?  "  said 
the  judge. 

"  W^ell,  squire,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  ye  see  that 
although  the  pieces  that  Henry  and  me  use  be  parfect 
to  a  sartin  distance,  yit  they  wasn't  made  to  shoot 
round  the  world,  and  yer  ranges  here  be  beyend  the 
power  of  their  barrels  to  cover  ;  and  as  ye  want  to  see 
the  lad's  rifle  here  put  into  sarvice,  we  conceited  we'd 
all  three  use  her,  and  see  ef  she  was  wuth  takin'  into 
the  woods.  And  as  Henry  here  seems  to  have  got 
the  p'intin'  of  the   piece  about   right,  and   there  isn't 


264  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

any  time  to  spare,  ye  may  begin  to  call  off  as  soon  as 
ye  please,  and  let  the  talkin'  begin.  I  feel  as  ef  I'd 
like  to  git  my  eye  into  the  sights  pritty  soon,  myself." 

"  The  shooting  for  the  five  hundred  yards  range 
will  now  begin,"  said  the  judge.  "  All  the  specta- 
tors are  requested  not  to  indulge  in  loud  talking 
lest  they  disturb  the  marksmen.  I  shall  call  each  in 
his  order,  and  no  one  will  shoot  until  I  call  his  num- 
ber.    Number   One  !  " 

One  of  the  Englishmen,  a  fine-looking  man  of 
about  forty,  deliberately  laid  himself  on  his  back, 
rested  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle  between  his  feet,  that 
were  crossed,  passed  his  left  arm  under  his  head, 
grasped  the  stock  of  his  rifle  with  his  hand,  and 
taking  deliberate  aim,  fired.  His  companion,  when 
called,  took  the  same  position,  and  the  marker's  disk 
showed  that  both  bullets  had  been  lodo^ed  within  the 
eioht-inch  diameter  rin^:  which  surrounded  the  tack. 
The  exhibition  of  skill  was  too  fine  to  be  received  in 
silence,  and  the  crowd  broke  into  a  cheer  at  the 
result. 

"  The  Englishers  call  that  shootin',  do  they?"  said 
the  Traj^per  in  a  low  voice.  ''  Yer  way  of  shootin', 
Henry,  be  bad  enough,  for  sartin  ;  although  I  allow 
there  is  reason  in  yer  elbow-rest,  as  ye  call  it ;  but  I 
never  expected  to  see  a  man  shoot  in  that  kinked-up 
fashion.  They  look  more  like  a  turtle  lyin'  on  its 
back  than  human  bein's.      Why — " 

"  Number  Three  !  "  called  the  judge. 

Amid  a  silence  as  profound  as  if  each  spectator  had 


THE  MAX  WHO  DTDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  265 

been  suddenly  turned  to  stone,  the  Lad  stretched 
himself  beside  Herbert  on  the  grass,  and  imitating  his 
position,  set  his  eye  to  the  sights.  One  instant,  and 
then  the  explosion  came.  The  next,  and  the  marker's 
disk  settled  to  the  target  within  four  inches  of  the 
tack.     The  yell  that  succeeded  was  simply  tremendous. 

"  Well  done,  lad  ! "  shouted  the  Trapper,  as  he 
brought  his  hand  with  a  mighty  slap  against  his 
thigh,  while  his  mouth  opened  to  its  widest  stretch. 
'^  Ye'll  give  them  Britishers  the  cramp  in  the  small  of 
their  backs  ef  ye  can  stick  'em  in  in  that  style.  Now, 
Henry,  h'ist  her  nose  a  leetle  and  show  'em  the  fine 
p'ints  of  the  piece." 

'^  Number  Four  !  "  called  the  jndge,  as  soon  as  his 
voice  could  be  heard.  Herbert  had  already  his  eye 
at  the  sight  when  the  word  was  given,  and  before  the 
sound  of  the  caller's  voice  had  died  away,  the  gun 
exploded.  Again  the  disk  settled  to  the  target, 
showino;  that  the  bullet  had  divided  the  distance  be- 
tween  the  hole  made  by  the  Lad's  ball  and  the  tack. 

It  was  a  full  minute  before  the  judge  could  make 
his  voice  heard,  for  the  tumult  of  a  thousand  open 
mouths  was  in  the  air,  and  the  noise  was  overwhelm- 
ing. Amid  the  uproar  the  Old  Trapper's  voice  was 
the  loudest,  for  he  Avas  wise  enough  to  know  that  the 
gun  was  working  well  and  could  be  relied  on,  and 
that  his  two  companions  had  the  match  in  their 
hands.  Indeed,  so  strongly  was  this  fact  impressed  on 
his  mind  that  he  bent  down  to  Herbert,  who  was  still 
lying  on  the  grass,  and  said  : — 


266  ADIIiONDACK    TALES. 

"  I  tell  ye,  boy,  ye've  got  'em.  The  barrel  is  a  true 
un,  and  ye  and  the  lad  don't  need  any  help.  I  ain't 
goin'  to  shoot." 

"  John  Norton,"  said  Herbert,  "  you  talk  nonsense. 
The  lad  isn't  certain,  for  he  never  shot  a  match  in 
his  life,  and  this  is  the  short  range.  At  the  long 
ranofe  the  £fun  may  not  work  so  well,  and  some  acci- 
dent  may  happen.  Remember  your  own  fame.  A 
thousand  people  are  looking  to  see  you  prove  your 
skill.  Besides,  I  want  to  see  you  shoot,  myself. 
Above  all,  I  want  these  Englishmen  to  see  what  an 
American  gun  can  do." 

"Well,  well,  Henry,"  interrupted  the  Trapper,  "ye 
shall  have  yer  way.  Clean  the  piece  and  shove  in  yer 
cartridoe.  I  never  thouoht  John  Norton  would  shoot 
a  rifle  that  was  loaded  at  the  breech-pin." 

"  Number  Five  !  "  shouted  the  caller.  "  Silence. 
John  Norton  is  to  shoot." 

The  old  man  took  the  piece,  and  turning  to  the 
caller,  he  said  :  — 

"  Ye  see,  squire,  I've  never  handled  the  piece,  and 
ef  ye  have  no  objection  I  would  like  to  run  my  eye 
through  the  sights,  for  new  sights  to  the  eye  be  a 
good  deal  like  a  new  knife  in  the  mouth,  —  ye  have  to 
use  it  awhile  afore  ye  git  used  to  it." 

"  No  objection  ;  you  can  look  through  the  sights  as 
long  as  you  wish." 

The  old  man  lifted  the  rifle  to  his  cheek  and  low- 
ered it  again.  This  he  did  several  times  ;  at  last  he 
said  :  — 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  267 

"  I  can't  say,  squire,  that  the  piece  balances  jest 
right,  for  it's  a  leetle  too  heavy  at  the  breech  and  too 
straight  in  the  stock,  and  the  barrel  is  colored  a  leetle 
too  high,  and  it  sartinly  loads  at  the  wrong  eend  ;  but 
the  sio:hts  be  rio^ht  and  the  air  be  clear  as  the  Lord 
ev^er  makes  it.  A  man  ought  to  do  eenamost  any- 
thin'  with  a  true  barrel,  to-day.  Now  a  hundred  rod 
is  a  good  range,  for  sartin,  but  the  board  yender  be 
well  placed,  and  the  white  shows  as  clear  as  a  gull  in 
the  air.  Now  Henry  says  the  gun  shoots  full  three 
inches  under,  and  advises  me  to  hold  up,  and  the  boy's 
jedgment  is  onusually  good  in  sech  things.  And  I 
shall  be  governed  by  him  in  the  matter,  and  ef  he  be 
right  the  lead  ought  to  be  found  pretty  near  the  tack, 
ef  the  powder  barns  quick,  and  nothin'  onnateral  hap- 
pens ;  but  the  credit  of  the  shot  will  half  belong  to 
Henry,  ef  his  advice  be  correct.  Now,  ye  may  git 
yer  eyes  onto  the  board  as  soon  as  ye  please,  or  the 
bullit  will  git  there  ahead  of  ye." 

In  spite  of  the  Trapper's  advice  not  an  eye  in  all 
the  throng  turned  toward  the  target,  but  remained 
steadfastly  fixed  on  the  marksman.  Nothing  could 
be  finer  than  the  old  man's  appearance  as  he  straight- 
eired  his  form  to  its  full  height,  advanced  his  left  foot 
and  lifted  the  barrel  into  the  air.  SloAvly  and  easily  it 
settled  into  the  broad  hand  extended  to  receive  it, 
stood  fixed  for  an  instant,  as  if  it  was  a  part  of  the 
atmosphere  itself,  then  burst  out  its  explosion.  Before 
an  eye  in  all  the  crowd  had  turned  to  the  target,  the 
gun,  wdth  its  muzzle  still  smoking,  lay  resting  in  the 


268  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

hollow  of  the  old  man's  arm,  while  his  hand,  from 
long  habit,  was  involuntarily  feeling  for  the  powder- 
horn  to  recharpe  the  barrel. 


CHAPTER    X, 

THE    SHOOTING    MATCH. 

"On  thee  the  fortunes  of  our  house  depend."—  Virgil. 

But  recollecting  themselves  in  an  instant  the  spec- 
tators, as  with  one  movement,  tnrned  their  gaze  at  the 
target.  The  marker  stood  in  front  o£  it  for  a  moment, 
and  then  he  waved  the  disk  upward  and  downward, 
endino;  with  a  flourish  into  the  air  over  his  head. 

"  John  Norton  !  "  exclaimed  the  judge,  "  you  have 
missed  the  target  entirely,  and  I  regret  to  say  you  are 
ruled  out  from  farther  shootino\" 

"  Missed  the  target !  "  said  the  old  man,  while  the 
silence  of  the  crowd  was  absolutely  oppressive,  and 
every  word  could  be  heard  by  the  listeners.  ^'  Missed 
the  target !  "  repeated  the  Trapper,  "  that  would  be  a 
good  un,  and  somethin'  the  Saranacs  wouldn't  forgit 
in  a  day.  No,  no,  jedge  ;  it's  a  big  distance,  I'll  allow, 
but  the  air  be  clear,  the  sights  showed  plain,  the  pow- 
der barnt  quick ;  and  the  piece,  considerin'  it  loads  at 
the  wrong  eend,  be  a  good  un.  Henry  told  me  to 
allow  three  inches,  and  ef  the  boy  was  right,  as  he  is 
likely  to  be  in  sech  a  matter,  yer  marker  there  oughter 
find  the  lead  in  the  black  around  the  tack." 

At  that  instant  a  shout  came  boomino:  over  the 
water.     For  a  moment  the  marker  was  seen  swinging 


270  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

his  hat  over  his  head,  and  then  the  wliite  disk  was 
placed  squarely  over  the  centre  of  the  target. 

The  roar  that  the  crowd  sent  upward  into  the  air 
was  j)ositively  deafening.  It  lifted  the  atmosphere 
like  an  explosion^  and  swelled  as  it  rose  until  the 
upper  air  was  filled  with  the  enlarging  sound.  Again 
and  again  did  the  crowd  explode.  Cheer  upon  cheer 
chased  each  other  across  the  lake,  and  rolled  their 
aerial  waves  aofainst  the  distant  hills.  Amid  the 
tumult  the  Old  Trapper,  whose  hand  Herbert  had 
grasped,  and  was  shaking  with  unconscious  vigor  and 
energy,  exclaimed  :  — 

''  Lord  !  Henry,  did  tlie  folks  think  that  a  man  who 
has  used  the  wepon  all  his  life,  till  his  liead  be  white- 
nin',  could  miss  a  board  as  big  as  a  door  on  a  day 
like  this  ?  I  tell  ye,  boy,  ef  the  wind  won't  lift,  and 
the  piece  works  well,  I'll  drive  every  bulllt  of  the  ten 
inside  the  size  of  a  sasser.  Lord-a-massy,  Henry, 
what  a  grip  ye  have !  The  lad  and  me  has  seed  ye 
when  yer  fingers  hadn't  pinch  enough  in  'em  to  break 
an  egg-shell."  And  the  old  man  laughed  heartily  at 
his  own  thoucrht. 

Presently  the  crowd  regained  their  composure,  and 
the  shooting  proceeded  with  regularity  and  precision. 
In  less  than  an  hour  the  string  was  shot,  the  judge 
had  measured  the  distance  of  each  of  the  marksmen's 
bullets  from  the  tack,  and  announced  that  he  would 
declare  the  score  :  — 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  said  he,  "  the  score  of  the 
shooting   at  five    hundred   yards    stands    as   follows : 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  271 

Total  distance  of  the  ten  shots  from  the  tack  for 
Number  One,  is  60  inches  ;  Number  Two,  is  58  1-2 
inches  ;  Number  Three,  is  55  inches ;  Number  Four, 
is  17  inches  ;  Number  Five,  is  17  1-2  inches.  Mr. 
Herbert  leads  the  score  at  the  five  hundred  yards 
range,  beating  Number  One,  13  inches ;  Number  Two, 
11 1-2  inches ;  Number  Three,  8  inches  ;  Number  Five, 
1-2  inch."  And  then  he  added  :  "  We  will  now  adjourn 
the  shooting  for  twenty  minutes,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  the  shooting  at  one  thousand  yards  will  begin." 

During  the  intermission  speculation  raged,  and  the 
discussion  as  to  the  chances  of  the  several  contestants 
was  warm.  All  agreed  that  the  Trapper's  shooting, 
firing  as  he  had  ''  off  hand,"  was  never  equalled.  Such 
steadiness  of  nerve  all  admitted  was  never  seen  before, 
and  that  his  string'  would  stand  forever  unrivalled. 
But  still,  it  was  claimed  that  no  human  beino:  could 
shoot  one  thousand  yards  "off  hand"  and  stand  any 
chance  beside  men  accustomed  to  the  distance,  and 
shooting  from  a  rest.  On  the  other  hand  the  partisans 
of  the  Trapper  asserted  that  so  clear  was  his  eye,  so 
steady  his  nerves,  and  so  perfect  his  control  of  the 
piece,  that  he  could  shoot,  and  would  shoot,  at  the 
longer  as  well  as  he  had  at  the  shorter  distance ;  and 
they  backed  him  at  any  odds  against  everybody  but 
Herbert. 

In  respect  to  Herbert,  the  backers  of  the  Trapper 
admitted  that  he  might  win  ;  indeed,  they  went  so  far 
as  to  own  that  he  probably  would.  Like  the  Trapper, 
he  had  shot  with  great  steadiness;  his  bullets  being 


272  ADIRONDACK   TALES. 

"  bunched  "  a  little  under,  as  the  Trapper's  were  a 
little  over,  the  centre ;  and  the  manner  in  which  the 
old  man  treated  him,  as  truly  as  the  words  of  praise 
he  had  sjioken  in  his  behalf,  had  made  a  profound 
impression  on  the  throng.  So  that  as  between  the  two 
no  bets  were  made,  all  admitting  that  it  was,  as  the 
Trapper  said  it  would  be,  "  nip  and  tuck "  between 
them. 

The  Lad  rose  in  popular  favor  with  every  shot  he 
made.  Indeed,  his  shooting  had  improved  from  the 
start,  and  his  last  three  bullets  had  been  driven 
within  three  inches  of  the  tack  and  so  close  to^rether 
that  their  edges  touched.  This  had  not  escaped  the 
notice  of  our  "  silent "  friend,  who  had  watched  the 
Lad  as  the  contest  proceeded  and  the  excitement 
grew,  and  noticed  that  whether  the  crowd  was  noisy 
or  still  the  look  of  placid  simplicity  never  left  his 
face,  and  when  he  sighted  the  last  shot,  not  a  muscle 
in  his  face  even  tightened,  nor  the  least  particle  of 
stiffness  came  to  the  long,  awkward  finger  as  it  rested 
on  the  delicate  trigger.  Profoundly  impressed  by 
these  facts  he  was  "  laying  heavy  on  the  fool,"  as  he 
expressed  it. 

Still,  the  Englishmen  had  strong  backing.  They 
freely  admitted  that  the  American  gun  shot  "  beyond 
all  precedent,"  but  they  as  stoutly  held  that  "  no 
breech-loading  arm,  and  especially  of  so  light  a  char- 
acter, could  possibly  compete  at  a  thousand  yards  with 
such  guns  as  they  were  firing."  And  this  judgment 
was  endorsed  by  many  among  the  spectators.     Indeed, 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  273 

the  majority,  for  the  reason  above  mentioned,  still 
stood  with  the  strangers  and  confidently  asserted  that 
"  they  would  surely  and  easily  win  at  the  thousand- 
yard  range." 

While  the  crowd  were  thus  discussing  the  chances  of 
the  several  contestants,  nature  was  busy  in  introducing 
new  and  potential  elements  into  the  contest.  The  sky 
that  had  been  cloudless  suddenlv  darkened,  and  o-reat 
black  patches  began  to  float  through  the  firmament. 
The  winds  were  unloosed  and  gusts  began  to  spin 
themselves  in  eddying  courses  across  the  level  lake. 
The  flags  on  the  staffs,  that  had  hung  all  the  morning 
pendent,  or  clung  in  coils  around  the  slender  sticks, 
began  to  flap  and  flutter,  one  instant  streaming  free, 
the  next  sinking  into  utter  repose.  What  made  it  still 
worse,  the  winds  were  changeful.  One  instant  a  breeze 
would  blow  straight  up  the  lake,  the  next  a  gust 
would  spin  fairly  athwart  the  range.  The  Englishmen 
hailed  this  with*  unconcealed  delight,  thinking  that 
their  long  experience  on  windy  ranges  would  tell 
strongly  in  their  favor.  Even  the  Old  Trapper,  as  he 
watched  the  rising  wind,  got  uneasy,  and  calling  his 
two  companions  to  him,  said  :  — 

"  Now,  Henry,  ye  see  the  wind  be  risin',  as  I  felt 
sartin  it  would  afore  long,  and  the  Englishers  be 
tickled,  for  they  conceit  they  can  beat  us,  as  they  sar* 
tinly  can  me  and  the  lad,  in  calculatin'  the  force  of 
the  squalls.  What  say  ye,  Henry,  can  ye  match  'em 
in  watchin'  the  flao-s  ?  " 

"  You  needn't  worry,  John  Norton,"  replied   Her- 


274  ADIROXDACK  TALES. 

bert,  '^  I've  had  as  much  experience  with  flags  and 
windy  ranges  as  they  have,  and  I  doubt  if  they  can 
beat  me  at  the  business.  But  I  warn  you  both  to 
remember  that  the  wind  exercises  a  great  influ- 
ence on  the  fliofht  of  a  buflet  at  a  distance  of  one 
thousand  yards  —  greater  than  one  would  suppose 
unless  he  has  had  experience  of  it,  and  that  you  must 
shoot  wdien  and  wdiere  I  tell  you,  no  matter  how 
strange  the  direction  may  seem  to  you.  Of  course  it's 
a  little  awkward,  but  if  you  will  obey  me  I  think  we 
can  beat  them  at  their  own  game,  wind  or  no  wind." 

^^  Don't  ye  fear  about  that,  Henry,"  responded  the 
Trapper ;  "  I'll  shoot  where  ye  say,  ef  ye  tell  me  to 
shoot  into  one  of  the  winders  of  the  tavern  here.  So 
ye  jest  give  us  the  word  and  the  lead  shall  go  where 
ye  say,  ef  I  have  to  send  the  buUit  over  to  the  Upper 
Saranac."  ^ 

''  The  shooting  at  the  long  range  will  now  begin," 
shouted  the  judge.  "Each  man  is  allowed  three 
sighting  shots,  and  they  can  shoot  them  when  they 
please,  taking  advantage  of  the  lulls  between  the  gusts 
of  the  wdnd." 

The  marksmen  were  already  in  their  places,  and  in 
a  few  moments  the  Englishmen  had  made  their  trial, 
and  with  success.  Herbert  watched  his  chance  and 
shot  each  of  his  three  shots  when  the  flaos  hunof 
unmoved  on  their  staffs.  His  last  two  bullets  had 
struck  within  two  inches  of  each  other,  eight  inches 
under  the  centre.  He  was  delighted  at  his  good  luck, 
for  he  knew  that  the  least  trifle  of    elevation  would 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  275 

give  the  piece  the  centre  range,  and  he  announced  to 
the  judge  that  the  Trapper,  the  Lad,  and  himself  were 
ready. 

In  a  few  moments  the  firing  began.  Number  One 
put  his  bullet  within  ten  inches  of  the  tack,  directly 
to  the  right,  and  was  cheered.  Number  Two  nearly 
duplicated  the  shot,  only  his  bullet  "  drifted  "  to  the 
left.  He,  too,  Avas  cheered.  Indeed,  the  crowd  was 
in  excellent  humor  and  ready  to  be  pleased  with  any- 
thino\  Besides,  the  rang^e  was  so  much  beyond  the 
capacity  of  ordinary  guns  that  even  to  hit  the  target 
seemed  to  most  of  the  spectators  a  wonderful  exploit, 
and  to  plant  a  bullet  within  a  foot  of  the  tack  was 
enough  to  set  them  yelling.  It  was  now  the  Lad's 
turn,  and  the  wind  was  blowing  up  the  lake  with 
decided  violence. 

"  Hold  on,  lad ;  hold  on,"  said  the  Trapper. 
"  Wait  till  Henry  gives  ye  the  word  and  then  fire 
where  he  tells  ye,  ef  yer  bullit  has  to  go  round  the 
Three  Sisters  to  git  at  the  target.  This  shootin'  by 
flags  and  orders,  and  with  a  gun  that  loads  at  the 
wrong  eend,  be  squaw's  work  anyhow  ;  but  the  Eng- 
lishers  must  be  beaten  ef  we  have  to  shoot  in  pla- 
toons — " 

"  Ready,  lad  !  "  said  Herbert,  sharply.  "  Aim  two 
feet  under  — in  direct  line, — .^^'^•" 

The  astonishment  of  the  crowd  was  intense,  and 
their  consequent  noise  deafening,  when  the  marker's 
disk  showed  the  Lad's  bullet  but  five  inches  from  the 
tack  —  directly  below  it. 


276  ADTBOXDACK  TALES. 

The  Old  Trapper  said  not  a  word.  Indeed,  he  had 
no  opportunity ;  for  Herbert  had  instantly  inserted 
another  cartridge,  and  before  the  marker  had  fairly 
sunk  from  sight,  his  piece  exploded.  Quick  as  a  flash 
the  marker  lifted  his  disk  and  set  it  to  the  tarpfet  in 
the  identical  spot  he  had  laid  it  for  the  Lad's  shot. 
Indeed  the  two  shots  —  by  one  of  those  strange  occur- 
rences which  occasionally  happen  in  shooting  —  had 
penetrated  the  target  so  near  the  same  point  that  their 
edges  actually  cut  into  each  other. 

The  exhibition  of  skill  on  the  part  of  the  marks- 
men, and  of  the  extraordinary  accuracy  of  the  rifle 
itself,  and  the  intelligence  Avliich  Herbert  brought  to 
watching  the  flags,  made  a  profound  impression  on 
the  thiono:.  The  Enoflishmen  themselves  came  over 
and  looked  curiously  at  the  gun  wdiich  had  proved 
itself  able  to  project  its  bullets  with  such  force  and 
precision.  It  was  several  minutes  before  anything 
like  order  prevailed,  and  then  the  judges  called  out  — 

"  Ninnher  Five  !  '' 

"  NoWj  Henry,"  said  the  Old  Trapper,  as  he  lifted 
the  piece,  ''  ye  give  me  the  true  p'ints  of  the  case, 
as  the  lawyers  say,  or  I  wouldn't  give  a  cent  for  the 
vardict.  It's  a  big  distance,  for  sartiii,"  continued 
he,  as  he  ranged  his  eyes  over  the  water  to  where  the 
target  stood.  "  Yis,  it's  a  big  distance,  and  I  marvel 
that  so  small  a  gun  can  bear  the  charging  she  does. 
Didn't  ye  say,  boy,  she  barnt  a  hundred  grains,  and 
fine  karnelled  at  that?  A  hundred  grains!  Why, 
Henry,  I've  toted  a  piece  nigh  on   to  twdce  the  heft  of 


THE  MAy  WHO  DIDX'T  KNOW  MUCH.  277 

this  that  didn't  chamber  a  thimbleful,  and  carried  a 
bullit  no  big-ger  than  a  pea.  Yis,  yis,  I  begin  to  see 
the  reason  of  it.  A  hundred  grains  !  why  it's  enough 
to  carry  a  bullit  half-way  to  Tophet,  ef  the  muzzle 
of  the  piece  had  the  right  lift  to  it.  Ay,  ay,  Henry, 
I  understand.  Don't  be  oneasy,  boy  ;  when  ye  give 
the  word,  ye'll  find  me  ready  ;  but  when  a  man  has 
nothing  else  to  do  it  doesn't  hurt  him  any  to  talk  a 
leetle,  as  I  conceit,  especially  ef  he  talks  to  himself 
and  in  a  jedicious  manner — " 

"Ready!''  said  Herbert.  ^- Level  with  the  tack, 
—  three  feet  to  the  right,  — fire  !  " 

The  piece  exploded  with  that  word.  Indeed,  the 
explosion  actually  drowned  the  voice  that  pronounced 
it.  It  was  all  done  so  quickly  that  it  seemed  incred- 
ible that  the  Trapper  could  have  sighted. 

"  Ay,  ay,  Henry,"  said  the  old  man  laughing,  as 
Herbert  glanced  interrogatively  uj)  at  him  ;  ''  level  it 
was,  and  three  feet  to  the  right,  jest  as  ye  told  me  to 
do  it.  The  piece  was  held  as  ye  said  it  should  be, 
though  where  the  bullit  has  gone  the  Lord  only 
knows.  For  the  range  ye  gave  sartinly  brought  the 
sights  full  three  inches  off  the  board,  and  I  had  all  of 
West  Bay  to  sight  at." 

What  more  the  Old  Trapper  would  have  said,  had 
he  not  been  interrupted,  will  never  be  known  ;  for  he 
was  interrupted  in  the  midst  of  his  sentence  by  a  yell 
so  wild  and  strong  that  it  fairly  startled  him.  His  eye 
glanced  quick  as  a  lightning  flash  toward  the  target, 
and  beheld,  as  he  did  so,  a  perfect  explanation  of  the 


278  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

enthusiasm  of  the  crowd.  The  bullet,  driven  witli 
terrible  velocity  through  the  air,  had  traversed  its 
thousand  yards  of  flight,  and,  so  nicely  had  Herbert 
calculated  the  influence  of  the  wind  and  the  resultant 
drift,  and  so  exactly  had  the  Trapper  obeyed  him  in 
his  aim,  that  it  had  penetrated  the  target  almost  at  its 
central  point ;  for  the  disk  of  the  marker  lay  directly 
over  the  tack. 

It  is  but  truth  to  say  that  of  all  those  in  the  crowd 
not  one  was  more  astonished  than  the  Okl  Trapper 
himself.  The  idea  that  so  smaU  a  barrel  should  be 
able  to  project  its  buflet  the  distance  of  such  a  range 
and  enter  it  so  accurately  at  the  point  aimed  at,  was 
a  revelation  to  the  old  rifleman's  mind.  He  looked  at 
the  piece,  as  it  lay  balanced  in  his  mighty  hand,  and 
then  measured  with  observant  eve  the  lenoth  of  the 
range,  W\t\\  features  whose  expression  revealed  the 
thouofht  that  was  within. 

"  I'd  never  believed  it,  Henry.  No,  boy,  I'd  never 
believed  it,  onless  my  own  eyes  had  seed  it  done.  I'd 
never  believed  that  a  barrel  not  twice  as  biof  as  a  sol- 
dier's  ramrod,  and  but  a  leetle  heavier,  could  have 
throwed  an  ounce  of  lead  across  that  distance.  They 
say  strange  tlnngs  have  been  found  out,  and  many 
inventions  diskivered  in  the  settlements  sence  I  fust 
struck  the  trail.  But  among  them  all  there  can't  be 
a  greater,  no,  there  can't  be  a  greater  than  this  leetle 
gun  that  has  set  a  man,  who  has  used  the  rifle  for 
sixty  year,  and  thought  he  knowed  all  the  strong 
p'ints  of  the  wepon,  to  marvellin'.  No,  I'd  never 
believed  it  ef  I  hadn't  seed  it  with  my  own  eyes." 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  279 

In  this  manner  the  match  proceeded  up  to  the  sixth 
shot.  The  shootino^  had  continued  in  favor  of  the 
Old  Trapper  and  his  companions  as  opposed  to  the 
Englishmen.  The  American  gun  was  proving  its 
superiority  over  the  English  ones  with  each  successive 
discharge.  But  as  to  the  three  that  shot  it  the  closest 
observer  was  in  doubt  as  to  Avhich  was  leadinof  his 
companions.  The  shooting  of  the  three  as  directed 
by  Herbert  had  been  remarkably  even ;  for  so  skilled 
was  he  in  watching  the  flags,  so  exact  was  his  judg- 
ment, and  so  promj)tly  did  his  companions  respond  to 
his  directions,  that  their  shooting  had  been  distin- 
guished by  all  the  accuracy  that  would  have  attended 
their  practice  on  a  perfectly  calm  day.  The  English- 
men had  shot  well,  but  they  had  been  unable  to  gain 
any  advantage  over  the  Americans  by  reason  of  any 
superior  knowledge  touching  the  atmospheric  influ- 
ences on  the  flight  of  their  projectiles,  while  in  point 
of  skill  and  capacity  of  their  guns  they  were  evidently 
inferior  to  their  rivals.  The  Old  Trapper,  as  the 
shooting  proceeded,  was  in  his  element,  and  appeared 
to  the  best  possible  advantage.  Noble  and  generous 
as  his  nature  was,  there  was  nevertheless  in  it  that 
quality  of  ambition  which  gives  to  rivalry  the  keenest 
relish,  and  he  enjoyed  with  intense  delight  the  idea 
that  he  was  "  beatin'  them  Britishers."  Indeed,  he 
was  full  of  jokes  and  comments  as  the  match  pro- 
ceeded ;  and  shot  after  shot  revealed  the  accuracy  of 
the  gun  he  was  using,  and  the  fine  discrimination  with 
which  Herbert  was  directino-  the  bullets. 


280  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

"  I  tell  ye,  Henry,"  he  exclaimed,  as  the  marker's 
disk  revealed  the  fact  that  his  sixth  ball  had  struck 
within  four  inches  of  the  tack,  "  I  tell  ye,  Henry,  ye 
be  sartinly  gifted  in  readin'  them  flags,  and  yer  jedg- 
ment  in  the  matter  of  squalls  be  as  good  as  a  Dutch 
woman's  with  a  dozen  children.  I  eenamost  think  ye 
have  got  an  understandin'  with  the  dark  of  the 
weather  techin'  the  way  he's  to  blow.  Now,  ye  told 
me  to  hold  a  foot  over  the  target,  and  I  obeyed  ye 
like  a  Hessian  privit,  that  knows  nothin'  but  the 
orders  he  gits  from  his  sargeant,  but  I  was  mortally 
sartin  that  that  bullit  wouldn't  fetch  up  this  side  of 
Upper  Saranac  ;  and  there  it  be,  as  the  boy  yender 
says,  stickin'  close  to  the  tack.  I  say,  jedge," 
exclaimed  the  old  man,  as  he  turned  to  the  gentle- 
man who  had  charge  of  the  matcli,  '^  suppose  ye  send 
down  to  the  barn-door  yender,  and  have  a  leetle  meas- 
urin'  made  that  we  may  have  some  idee  of  how  the  thing 
be  gittin'  along.  It  ain't  necessary,  ye  see,  to  strain 
the  gun,  because  enough  be  enough.  And  as  we  can't 
all  three  beat,  we  would  like  to  know  how  the  thing 
stands,  or  we  may  all  come  out  alike ;  and  ye  can  no 
more  divide  a  puss  of  money  than  ye  can  a  beaver's 
hide.  While  it  be  fust-rate  for  one,  it  won't  split  up 
wuth  a  cent  for  three.  So  I  sartinly  advise  that  ye  let 
us  know  where  we  be,  or  we  may  have  to  shoot  this 
whole  thino;  over  ag^in." 

This  request  met  with  universal  approbation ;  and 
in  a  few  moments  the  several  strins^s  had  been  meas- 
ured,  and  the  scores  put  into  the  hand  of  the  judge, 
who  announced  the  following  results  :  — 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'  T  KXOW  MUCH.  281 

"  Number  One,  six  shots,  total,  58  inches  ;  Number 
Two,  64  inches ;  Number  Three,  50  inches  ;  Number 
Four,  48  1-2  inches ;  Number  Five,  49  inches. 

^*  Ye  see,  Henry,"  said  tha  Trapper,  laughing^  "  the 
LaJ  has  got  the  raal  gift  in  iiim,  and  he  is  arter  us  in 
'arnest.  I  conceit  we  shall  beat  him  ef  he  don't  otow 
any  in  the  next  four  shots ;  but  ef  he  gets  a  leetle 
mora  length  he'll  head  us,  sartin  as  fate.  It  would 
be  the  queerest  thing  I  ever  seed  ef  we  three  should 
go  out  abreast.  It  would  take  considerable  figurin'  — 
yis,  it  would  sartinly  take  a  good  deal  countin'  of 
lingers  to  divide  that  puss  out  there,  so  that  all  of  us 
could  have  as  much  as  we  want.  We  shall  have  to 
squint  a  leetle  closer,  boy,  or  the  lad  will  beat  us  at 
our  own  ofame." 

"  I  hope  he  will,"  said  Herbert,  "  for  I  never  saw  a 
man  of  his  age  and  inexjjerience  at  long-range  shoot- 
ing take  to  the  work  so  handily.  But  there  are  four 
more  shots  to  come,  and  while  the  Englishmen  are  a 
good  ways  behind  us,  still  it  is  any  one's  match  as  yet. 
They  have  shot  well,  and  the  least  mistake  on  our 
part  in  estimating  the  force  of  the  wind,  or  the  least 
unsteadiness  in  our  aim,  may  give  them  the  prize." 

"  The  shooting  will  begin,"  called  the  judge. 
"  Number  One  !  " 

•  The  rifle  of  Number  One  cracked  at  the  word,  and 
the  marker's  disk  showed  it  a  centre  shot. 

"  Well,"  said  the  Trapper,  grimly,  '"  he's  found  the 
mouth  of  the  tunnel  at  last,  anyway." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Herbert,  "  and  he  may  find  it  again." 


282  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

"  Number  Two  !  "  cried  the  judge. 

And  the  bullet  followed  so  closely  the  flight  of  his 
companion's  that  the  white  disk  settled  again  squarely 
over  the  centre. 

'-  Good  enough,"  said  the  Trapper.  "  Them  two 
auofers  fit  the  same  hole." 

"  Number  Three  !  "  shouted  the  judge. 

"  Wait/'  said  Herbert  to  the  Lad.  "  A  foot  to  the 
left ;  level  with  the  tack.     Fire  !  " 

The  Lad  obeyed  to  the  letter.  The  result  justified 
the  judgment  of  Herbert.  Again  the  disk  settled 
over  the  centre. 

'^  There'll  be  a  winder  through  that  barn-door/'  said 
the  Trapper,  "afore  we're  through.  Now  Henry, 
make  a  leetle  more  room  for  the  daylight  atween  the 
sash." 

"  Number  Four  ! "  called  the  judge,  somewhat 
excitedly. 

For  a  moment  Herbert  waited.  The  flaw  passed 
and  the  long  line  of  crimson  flags  hung  pendent  on 
their  staffs.  The  crowd  stood  breathless.  The  Old 
Trapper  bent  forward  with  his  eyes  on  the  distant 
target  as  if  with  unassisted  vision  he  would  fain  mark 
the  entrance  of  the  bullet.  And  then  the  sharp,  clear 
click  of  the  hammer  as  it  struck  the  rim  of  the  car- 
trido'e  sounded  on  the  air. 

The  gun  had  failed  to  explode  ! 

The  excitement  was  so  intense  that  a  cry  that 
sounded  like  a  groan  rose  from  the  throng. 

"  Death  and  jedgment  !  "  exclaimed  the  Trapper. 


THE   MAN  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  283 

It  was  all  he  said,  but  into  the  expression  he  had  put 
the  emphasis  o£  such  disgust  that  the  crowd  from  a 
sudden  revulsion  of  feeling  laughed  and  roared. 

'-  There,  I  am  out  of  the  match,"  said  Herbert 
calmly,  as  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  extended  the  rifle  to 
the  Trapper.  ''  I  trust  that  you  and  the  lad  will 
have  better  luck,  but  shooting  is  full  of  chances,  and 
you  never  know  until  the  score  is  counted  who  has 
won." 

"  Give  me  the  bearin'  of  the  wind,  Henry,"  said  the 
old  man  grimly.  "  This  is  what  comes  of  usin'  a 
piece  that  loads  at  the  wrong  eend.  I  sartinly  expect 
the  breech-pin  will  blow  out  this  lick.  Now,  an 
honest  gun  —  " 

"  Ready,"  said  Herbert.  "  Don't  fool  now,  John 
Norton.     Steady  —  cover  the  tack  —  fire  !  " 

At  the  word  the  old  man  pulled  the  trigger,  but 
no  explosion  followed,  but  instead,  only  a  sputtering 
sound ;  for  the  cartridge  w^as  a  false  one,  there  not 
being  a  grain  of  poAvder  in  it.  The  percussion  alone 
ignited,  and  driven  by  its  feeble  force  the  bullet  went 
barely  a  rod  and  then  dropped  idly  into  the  water. 

The  look  of  disgust  that  swept  over  the  Trapper's 
face  as  he  dropped  the  gun  on  to  the  ground  perfectly 
reflected  the  state  of  his  feelings.  The  cords  of  his 
neck  ridged,  his  countenance  flushed  wdth  vexation, 
and  the  muscles  of  his  face  twitched.  For  a  moment 
he  stood  glaring  down  at  the  gun  as  if  he  w^ould 
stamp  upon  it  in  his  rage,  while  the  great  crowd, 
hushed  to  silence  by  the  double  misfortune,  watched 


284  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

him,  half-frightened  at  the  exhibition  of  repressed 
passion  they  beheld.  At  last  the  humor  of  the  man 
prevailed,  his  tense  muscles  relaxed,  and  an  indescri- 
bable look  of  fun  softened  the  rioid  lines  of  his  face 
and  beamed  in  his  eyes. 

"  Well,  Henry,"  he  said,  "  the  pesky  thing  managed 
to  git  the  vict'als  out  of  its  mouth  Avithout  wrenchin' 
itself,  anyhow,  and  that's  a  good  deal  for  a  gun  that 
is  loaded  in  the  settlements  and  shot  in  the  woods  to 
do."  And  the  Trapper,  who  had  now  regained  his 
habitual  balance,  laughed  in  his  silent  fashion,  good- 
naturedly,  as  he  picked  up  the  piece  and  handed  it  to 
Herbert. 

"  Yis,  jedge,"  he  continued,  as  ho  turned  his  face 
toward  the  hotel,  '"'  Henry  and  me  be  out  of  the  match, 
ye  needn't  tell  us  that.  And  I  am  sorry  for  the  sake 
of  the  ladies  that  I  couldn't  shoot  the  match  out,  but 
I've  lived  too  long  amid  the  onsartinties  of  life  to  be 
soured  at  disapp'intment,  and  ef  they'll  be  patient 
they  shall  see  some  shootin'  yit  atween  Herbert  and  me 
that'll  make  'em  clap  their  pritty  hands  and  remember 
the  difference  between  a  riHe  a  hunter  can  trust  his 
life  to  and  a  miserable  invention  that  loads  at  the 
wrong  eend.  And  I  take  ye  all  to  witness,"  continued 
the  old  man  earnestly,  "  that  the  boy  and  me  shot 
this  thing  out  like  men  who  understood  the  vartues  of 
a  grooved  barrel,  ontil  the  gun  failed  us.  But  the  lad 
still  has  a  chance,  and  I  sartinly  hope  the  gun  will  act 
like  a  rational  piece  for  the  rest  of  the  match,  for  the 
boy  needs  the  money,"     So  saying  the  Trapper  folded 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  285 

his  arms  and  turned  his  face  toward  the  distant 
tarofet. 

The  Lad  rose  to  his  feet,  and  coming  to  his  side 
said :  — 

"  John  Norton,  I'm  real  sorry  the  rifle  has  acted  so 
to  you  and  Henry.  Shall  I  shoot  the  match  out  or 
stop  now  ?  I  don't  feel  like  shooting-  when  you  .and 
Henry  can't." 

''  Lord  bless  ye,  lad,"  said  the  Trapper, ''  of  course 
ye  must  shoot  the  match  out.  Ye  ain't  to  blame  for 
the  gun  actin'  so.  Henry,"  said  the  old  man,  "  come 
here.  What  do  ye  think,  —  can  the  lad  win  the  puss 
yit?" 

For  a  moment  Herbert  made  no  reply.  He  looked 
steadily  at  the  Lad,  and  seeing  that  his  face  revealed 
not  the  slightest  trace  either  of  fear  or  excitement,  he 
answered  :  — 

"  The  thing  is  likely  to  be  very  close,  close  enough 
to  try  the  nerves  of  the  steadiest  man  living ;  but  the 
lad  is  ahead,  and  if  I  make  no  mistake  in  directing 
him,  and  he  shoots  as  I  tell  him,  the  chances  are  cer- 
tainly good  for  his  winning." 

"  Lad,"  said  the  Trapper,  and  a  gleam  of  repressed 
feeling  shot  from  his  eyes,  "I  can't  bear  to  have  them 
Britishers  beat.  Can  ye  shoot  as  well  as  ye  have  been 
shootin'  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  why  I  can't,"  said  the  Lad,  "  I  feel 
well,  and  if  you  will  only  sit  down  beside  me,  and 
Henry  will  tell  me  where  to  aim,  I  think  I  shall  shoot 
as  well  as  I  ever  shot  in  my  life." 


286  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

"  Set  clown  beside  ye?  "  said  the  Trapper  laughing. 
"  Lord  bless  ye,  lad.  I'll  set  on  top  of  ye,  e£  ye  want 
me  to,  and  it  will  help  ye  any.  Come,  Henry,  git  yer 
eyes  onto  them  flags,  for  the  shootin'  must  begin." 

"  I  know,"  said  the  judge,  "  that  I  express  the  senti- 
ments of  all  this  large  company  when  I  say  that  I 
profoundly  regret  the  misfortune  that  has  befallen  two 
of  the  contestants,  but  by  the  rules  of  the  match  they 
are  ruled  out,  and  the  three  that  remain  must  com- 
plete their  strings.  They  will  therefore  prepare  them- 
selves." 

"  Number  One  !  " 

The  wind  was  now  blowing  almost  a  gale,  and  the 
shot  struck  fully  ten  inches  from  the  centre. 

"  Number  Two  !  "  called  the  judge. 

The  second  Englishman  shot  with  no  better  result. 

"  Number  Three  !  " 

"  Wait !  "  said  Herbert ;  "  now,  ready,  —  three  feet 
to  the  rioht  —  six  inches  above  the  centre  —  fire  !  " 

"  Well,  Henry,  ye  didn't  git  that  quite  right,  for 
sartin,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  but  the  lad  did  as  well  as 
the  Britisliers,  anyway." 

"  The  wind  was  a  twisting  one,"  answered  Herbert, 
"  and  I  couldn't  tell  exactly  where  the  strength  of  it 
lay." 

"  Was  I  to  blame?  "  said  the  Lad. 

"  Not  a  bit,  not  a  bit,"  answered  the  Trapper  ;  "  ye 
shot  as  well  as  a  mortal  could,  and  ye  haven't  sp'ilt 
yer  chances  a  bit.  I  think  the  puss  will  go  down  to 
the  camp  yit  ef  yer  gun  doesn't  bust." 


THE  MAX  WHO  DWX'  T  KXO  IF  MUCH.  287 

Aofain  the  marksmen  were  called  off  in  order,  and 
the  result  was  nearly  the  same.  It  was  still  "  any- 
body's match."  Oifly  one  shot  remained,  and  the  ex- 
citement back  of  and  around  the  marksmen  was  in- 
tense. 

The  Eno4ishmen  arose  and  walked  about  a  minute. 
They  talked  a  little  with  their  friends.  Their  faces 
were  a  trifle  pale.  Herbert  stopped  in  swabbing  the 
piece  to  wipe  the  sweat  from  his  forehead.  The 
Old  Trapper  looked  steadily  at  him,  and  said,  in  his 
ordinary  tones,  while  his  features  tightened,  "  I'd  give 
twenty  beavers'  skins  ef  I  had  the  loadin'  of  the  next 
cartrido'e." 

The  Lad,  still  stretched  in  all  his  awkward  length 
on  the  ground,  fixed  his  mild  eyes  on  Herbert  as  he 
was  wiping  his  face,  and  said :  "  What  makes  you  so 
hot,  Henry?    Do  you  feel  sick,  anywhere?" 

"  I  suspect  he  does,"  said  the  Trapper.  ^*  The  fact 
is,  lad,  I  don't  feel  quite  right  myself.  Not  that  I've 
got  any  great  pain,  anywhere,  exactly,  but  I  feel  sort 
of  hollow-like  at  the  pit  of  the  stomach." 

"  Mr.  Herbert,"  said  the  gambler,  as  he  struck  a 
match  and  pulled  a  cigar  from  his  pocket,  unconscious 
that  he  had  one  already  in  his  mouth  :  "  I  hope  you 
won't  make  a  mistake  about  them  little  flags.  I've 
gone  my  last  dollar  on  the  lad,  and  I'd  like  to  leave 
to-morrow." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  judge,  and  his  voice  was  far 
from  steady,  "  Gentlemen,  will  you  please  stand  back 
from  the  marksmen  ?     The  decisive  shots  must  now  be 


288  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

made,  and  I  can  see  you  are  greatly  excited.  The 
marker  reports  that  the  strings  are  very  close,  and  a 
centre  shot  will  decide  it.     I  shall«noAv  call :  — 

"  Number  One  !  " 

Even  as  the  call  came  the  wind  suddenly  died  out. 
The  flags  clung  to  their  staffs  ;  and,  seizing  the  oppor- 
tunity, Number  One  fired. 

It  was  signalled  as  only  seven  inches  from  the  tack. 

"  Number  Two  !  "  shouted  the  judge. 

Still  the  flags  hung  downward ;  the  rifle  cracked, 
and  the  white  disk  was  set  four  inches  from  the  centre. 

Still  the  flags  were  motionless ;  but  the  trees  on  the 
western  shore  of  the  lake  swayed  and  bent,  while  the 
roar  of  the  coming  wind  was  plainly  heard  by  the 
crowd  who,  in  front  of  the  hotel,  stood  holding  their 
very  breath.  The  Old  Trapper,  knowing  that  the 
gale  would  cross  the  range  in  an  instant,  and  indig- 
nant at  the  tardiness  in  giving  the  call,  turned  half- 
over  on  the  grass  and  shook  his  gigantic  fist  at  the 
judge,  while  his  face  fairly  flamed.  It  is  only  justice 
to  say  that  the  man  was  too  excited  to  speak. 

"  Why  don't  he  give  me  the  word?"  said  the  Lad, 
in  his  quiet,  simple  voice. 

"  Cover  the  tack  !  "  said  Herbert,  in  a  steady  voice, 
though  the  lips  that  pronounced  the  words  were  white. 
"  Cover  the  tack  —  wait  for  the  word  —  ready  !  " 

"  Number  Three  !  "  shouted  the  judge,  wdtli  a  voice 
that  fairly  broke  into  a  scream,  from  the  tremendous 
effort  he  Avas  makino;  to  articulate. 

The   Lad  never  stirred.     His  body  stretched  to  its 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX  T  KXO  ]V  MUCH.  289 

full  length  was  as  limp  as  if  it  contained  not  a  muscle ; 
his  eye  was  at  the  sight ;  his  long  finger  against  the 
trigger.  The  gale  had  struck  the  lake  and  was 
careerino'  onward  toward  the  flao^s.  The  air  was  full 
of  dried  stems  and  flying  leaves.  The  Old  Trapper's 
eyes  were  fixed  on  the  whirlwind  and  his  fingers  half- 
buried  in  the  sod. 

"  Ready  !"  said  Herbert.     "  Fi  —  " 

The  full  sound  of  the  word  was  never  heard.  The 
crash  of  the  rifle  drowned  it.  Not  a  lip  moved  until 
the  marker  lifted  the  disk,  and  after  looking  a  mo- 
ment placed  it  exactly  on  the  centre. 

"  Glory  to  God  !  "  yelled  the  Trapper,  as  he  jumped 
to  his  feet,  and  seizing  the  gambler,  who  happened  to 
be  standing  within  reach,  lifted  him  into  the  air  and 
held  him  at  arm's  leno-th  with  a  sino^le  hand  while  he 
swuno^  the  other  over  his  head.  ''  The  Max  Who 
Don't  Know  Much,  and  the  gun  that  loads  at  the 
wrong  eend,  and  the  puss  of  money,  will  go  to  John 
Norton's  camp  together  !     HURRAH  !  " 


CHAPTER    XL 

THE    MATCH    FOR    THE    SILVER    HORN. 

"  When  Greek  joins  Greek  then  comes  the  tng  of  war."  —  Nathaniel  Lee. 

The  tumult  which  attended  the  eh)se  o£  the  long- 
range  match  at  last  subsided.  The  Lad  was  pro- 
nounced the  winner  of  the  ladies'  purse,  and  the  poor 
shrinking  fellow  was  overwhelmed  wdth  congratula- 
tions. He  kept  close  by  the  side  of  the  Trapper  as  a 
timid  boy  does  by  the  side  of  hig  father  on  his  first 
experience  in  a  city  crowd.  And  in  truth  it  must  be 
said  that  the  old  backwoodsman  was  an  ample  protec- 
tion. Lideed,  it  was  touching  to  see  how  utterly 
childlike  was  the  attitude  of  the  Lad  toward  the 
Trapper,  and  how  fatherly  was  the  bearing  of  the  eld 
man  toward  the  simple-minded  youth.  In  the  one  was 
timidity,  entire  unacquaintance  with  men,  and  the 
painful  sense  of  his  own  awkwardness  and  lack  of 
ability.  Li  the  other  was  the  bold  front,  perfect  self- 
reliance,  and  superb  balance  of  a  man  of  extraordinary 
physique,  endow^ed  by  nature  with  shrewdness  and  wit, 
and  furnished  with  the  faculty  of  discipline  which  a 
long  life  spent  in  reflection  and  mingling  with  men  in 
serious  undertakings  alone  can  give.  Because  of  this 
contrast,  perhaps,  the  evident  affection  of  the  younger 
for  the   older  was  the  more  touching,  and  the  crowd 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  291 

was  not  slow  to  perceive  and  be  impressed  by  the  unu- 
sual and  interestinof  connection  between  the  two.  It 
is  hard  to  say  which  was  the  stronger  feeling  in  the 
bosoms  of  the  spectators  who  had  Avatched  the  contest 
and  the  two  men  ;  admiration  for  the  Trapper,  or  pity 
for  the  youth  who,  while  lacking  in  ail  those  attri- 
butes of  body  and  mind  which  command  applause, 
had  nevertheless  given  such  unmistakable  evidence  of 
skill,  generosity,  and  genuine  power.  Even  the  gamb- 
ler, who,  luider  the  hard,  smooth  complacency  of  cun- 
ning selfishness  fostered  by  his  professional  practice, 
had  a  noble,  if  a  cynical,  nature,  came  to  the  Lad  and 
insisted  on  "  dividing  the  little  pile  with  him,"  as  he 
expressed  it ;  and  strove  in  vain  to  make  the  Lad  take 
an  enormous  roll  of  greenbacks  which  he  extended  to 
him. 

"  Look  here,  friend,"  said  the  Trapper,  as  he 
pushed  the  money  back  to  the  gambler,  ''  ye  better 
put  that  roll  of  rags  into  yer  own  wicked  pocket,  for, 
though  I  don't  wish  to  say  anything  oncivil  to  ye  or 
hurt  yer  feelin's,  yit  I  sartinly  conceit  that  ye  don't 
git  yer  skins  by  honest  trappin',  but  by  stealin'  'em 
out  of  traps  that  ye  never  sst ;  and  though  yer 
practices  may  be  accordin'  to  the  ways  of  the  settle- 
ments, yit  ye  should  know  that  they  don't  squar' 
with  the  idees  that  honest  men  have  in  the  woods. 
And  ef  ye  will  take  an  old  man's  advice,  whose  head 
has  whitened  in  gittin'  an  honest  livin'  accordin'  to 
his  gifts,  ye  had  better  quit  yer  tricky  habits  and  'arn 
yer  money  in  a  straighter  fashion,  or  it  will  be  likely 


292  ADmOXDACK    TALES. 

to  go  hard  with  ye  in  the  Jedgment,  when  ye  be 
questioned  about  the  way  ye  got  yer  j)elts  and  yer 
profits  on  the  'arth.  And  I  hope  ye  will  take  the 
advice  in  the  sperit  it's  certainly  given  ye." 

"  Old  man,"  said  the  gambler,  as  he  coolly  stuffed 
the  bills  into  one  of  his  capacious  pockets,  "  your 
advice  is  certainly  worthy  of  consideration,  and  I  have 
sometimes  thought  I  had  better  take  a  new  deal  and 
jjlay  a  straight  game ;  but  there's  one  or  two  points  to 
be  considered  first,  and  I  don't  feel  that  I  shall  be  in 
quite  the  right  position  to  go  it  alone  until  you  and 
Mr.  Herbert  have  got  through  wdth  the  little  business 
you  are  coming  to ;  and  if  you  can  give  me  a  point 
or  two  as  to  how  the  thing  will  come  out,  you  will 
encourage  me  to  reach  a  right  conclusion  in  the 
matter,  and  put  me  in  a  condition  of  mind  to  give  due 
weight  to  your  judgment." 

"  It  strikes  me,  friend,"  returned  the  Trapper,  "  that 
ye  be  haltin'  atween  two  opinions,  as  the  missioners 
say,  and  be  likely  to  go  to  the  divil  arter  all,  ef  ye 
don't  fetch  up  with  a  sharp  turn  afore  long.  And  as 
to  this  matter  atween  Henry  and  me,  I  won't  tell  ye  a 
word,  for  it's  nip  and  tuck,  and  neither  the  boy  or  me 
know  which  will  win ;  for  the  pieces  be  parfect,  and 
all  that  can  be  done  with  grooved  barrels  both  of  us 
can  do.  And  whether  the  horn  Avill  go  to  the  settle- 
ments, or  stay  in  the  woods,  no  mortal  can  tell,  and 
what  is  better,  neither  of  us  care ;  for  I  dare  say  ef 
the  boy  wins  it  he  will  give  it  to  me,  and  ef  I  win  it 
the  Lord  knows  I'll  give  it  to  him." 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  293 

"  All  right,"  said  the  gambler,  "  I'm  much  obliged 
to  you  for  your  advice,  and  I  guess  I'll  play  cautiously 
and  bet  on  the  chances." 

It  is  hard  to  say  which  feeling  predominated  in 
the  Trapper's  mind,  —  vexation  at  the  thought  that 
the  gambler  had  outwitted  him  and  actually  got  the 
"chances"  out  of  him,  or  a  sense  of  humor  at  the 
shrewdness  of  the  man,  for  his  countenance  showed 
both  feelings  in  equal  proportion.  He  was  about  to 
reply,  when  the  call  of  the  judge  summoned  him  to 
the  front  of  the  hotel  where  the  shootino;  was  to  be 
done.  The  old  man  left  the  spot,  and,  finding  Her- 
bert, the  two  proceeded  to  the  lawn,  where  the  com- 
mittee of  arrangements  had  already  roped  off  a  space 
from  which  the  marksmen  were  to  shoot. 

"  Well,  squire,"  said  the  Trapper,  as  he  and  Her- 
bert reached  the  judge's  stand,  "  me  and  Henry  have 
put  in  our  appearance  accordin'  to  orders ;  and  be 
ready  to  do  whatever  ye  ax  us  to  do  ef  it  be  in  the 
line  of  our  gifts.  And  as  the  sun  isn't  apt  to  fetch 
up  when  it's  fairly  got  started  down  hill,  ye  might  as 
well  set  us  agoin'  as  soon  as  ye  can ;  for  the  light  will 
be  dim  afore  long  and  ye  can't  bring  out  the  fine 
p'ints  of  a  rifle  onless  ye  have  plenty  of  sunshine ;  so 
ef  ye've  got  anything  to  tell  us  our  ears  be  open,  as 
the  Hurons  say,  to  yer  words." 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  said  the  chairman  of  the 
committee  of  arrangements,  ''  w^e  have  now  come  to 
the  last  match  of  the  day  ;  and,  we  think  we  may 
safely    say,    without   disparagement    of    the    shooting 


294  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

which  we  have  already  witnessed,  the  most  interesting 
match  of  the  day.  The  prize  is  a  horn  of  pure  silver 
that  will  hold  a  pound  of  powder,  and  is  beautifully 
engraved,  as  you  see,  with  an  elegant  sketch  of  a  deer 
and  a  hound  in  full  chase.  It  is  the  most  valuable 
prize  which  has  been  given ;  and  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  results  of  artistic  skill  that  I  have  ever  seen. 
The  shooting  for  this  prize  must  be  off  hand  and  at 
such  distances  as  the  committee  shall  announce.  The 
contestants,  —  no  one  else  having  entered,  —  are  these 
gentlemen  whose  presence  has  done  so  much  to  enliven 
and  make  memorable  the  sports  both  of  yesterday  and 
to-day.  The  object  of  the  committee  in  this  match  is 
to  show  to  all  the  spectators,  especially  to  those  gentle- 
men who  have  visited  us  from  abroad,  what  the  Amer- 
ican rifle,  in  the  hands  of  skilled  men,  can  do.  In 
other  words,  we  desire  to  tax  the  skill  of  the  contest- 
ants, both  in  respect  to  accuracy  and  quickness  of  aim. 
We  are  fortunate  in  having  been  able  to  secure  the 
presence  of  two  men,  one  of  whom  has  been  noted  for 
half  a  century  as  one  of  the  best  if  not  the  best  rifle 
shot  in  America,  and  the  other  of  whom  is  known  to 
many  of  us  as  being  an  extraordinary  marksman,  in 
reference  to  whose  skill  no  hii>lier  endorsement  can  be 
given  than  his  companion  and  rival  in  the  match  has 
freely  bestowed.  The  two  contestants,  I  need  not  say 
in  this  allusion,  are  Mr.  Herbert  and  the  Old  Trapper, 
John  Norton.  And  it  is  safe  to  predict  that  we  shall  see 
a  very  fine  and  exciting  contest,  —  the  strong  friend- 
ship existing  between  the  competitors  making  it  all 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  295 

the  more  novel  and  delightful.  The  shootmg  will  be 
of  a  character  that  cannot  be  decided  by  measurement 
in  inches  and  fractions  of  inches,  but  must  be  left  for 
decision  to  the  judgment  of  the  committee  ;  and  even 
of  the  two  marksmen  themselves." 

"That's  it,  jedge,  that's  it,  —  me  and  Henry  knows 
wdiat  shootin'  is,  and  either  of  us  be  parfectly  Avillin' 
to  ow^n  up  beat  ef  the  p'ints  of  the  case  be  plain.  Ye 
see,  he  and  me  understand  each  other ;  and  though  the 
boy  might  Ije  too  modest  to  say  it,  yit  in  his  innermost 
feelin's  he  knows  jest  as  well  as  I  do  that  it's  nip  and 
tuck  atAveen  us ;  and  that  a  slow  barnin'  cap  or  a 
holler  bullit  that'll  bust  in  the  air  or  go  onsteady  is 
more  likely  to  decide  the  matter  than  any  difference 
atween  us  as  to  quickness  of  eye  and  tech.  And  I 
want  ye  all  to  understand  that  while  we  shall  shoot 
honest  and  true,  each  doin'  his  best,  and  leavin'  his 
chances  to  fortin,  yit  w^e  don't  care  the  tail  of  a  beaver 
which  wins,  and  look  upon  it  more  as  a  cheerful  divar- 
sion,  or  a  leetle  camp  practice  on  a  lazy  day,  than  any 
contest  atween  us." 

"Yes,  yes,"  said  the  judge,  "we  all  understand  it, 
John  Norton.  \\  e  all  understand  how  it  is  between 
you  and  Mr.  Herbert,  although  he  will  not  feel 
offended  if  I  say  that  we  do  not  credit  him  with  such 
skill  as  your  reputation  has  secured  to  you.  But 
Avhichever  way  it  goes  we  will  look  upon  it  as  a  bit  of 
friendly  sport  between  you  and  not  as  an  antagonistic 
contest.  For,  whichever  wins,  we  know  that  we  shall 
have  an  exhibition  that  wdll  show  us  wdiatever  is  pos- 


296  ADIRONDACK    TALES. 

sible  in  rifl2  practice ;  and  it  is  proper  for  me  to  an- 
nounce to  the  company,  and  to  say  to  you,  that  as  the 
object  is  to  bring  out  your  skill  in  the  best  light,  we 
shall  feel  permitted  to  consult  you  as  the  match  pro- 
ceeds, if  circumstances  make  it  necessary." 

"  Sartinly,  sartinly,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  ye  may  ax 
us  anythin'  ye  be  a  mind  to,  and  ye'll  find  our  heads 
as  clear  as  a  quill  on  the  p'ints  of  the  case.  Only  git 
to  work  as  soon  as  ye  can,  for  natur'  has  got  the  sun 
goin'  down  hill,  and  he's  h'istin'  along  like  a  thievin' 
half-breed  with  an  honest  trapper  at  his  heels." 

"  The  shootino;  for  the  silver  horn  will  now  besfin," 
said  the  judge,  "  and  the  first  trial  will  be  at  fifty 
yards.  Two  shots  from  each  marksman.  The  target 
is  a  four  inch  diameter  ring  of  white,  centred  by  a 
tack  with  the  head  the  size  of  a  bullet."  And  as  he 
spoke  the  target  was  placed  at  the  distance  mentioned 
in  such  a  way  that  the  sun  lighted  it  perfectly.  The 
two  men  stood  side  by  side,  each  holding  in  his 
hands  his  favorite  gun,  a  double  rifle  with  both 
"  open "  and  "  globe  and  bead "  sights,  both  made 
by  Lewis,  of  Troy,  and  so  nearly  alike  that  were  it 
not  for  the  slioht  difference  in  the  ornamentation  of 
the  stocks  they  could  scarcely  have  been  distinguished 
one  from  the  other.  The  lock  of  either  could  be 
worked  with  or  without  the  "  set." 

"  I  hope,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  ye  have  got  more 
than  one  tack  in  that  keerd-board,  or  ye  had  better 
start  a  boy  for  the  carpenter  shop."  And  as  he  spoke 
the  muzzle  of  his  rifle  was  lifted  into  the  air,  dropped 


THE  3/.LY   WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  297 

suddenly  into  the  palm  of  his  outstretched  hand,  and 
exploded.  The  target,  as  the  Trapper  had  predicted, 
fell  at  the  explosion  to  the  ground. 

A  murmur  of  delight  rustled  through  the  crowd. 

"  No,  no  !  "  said  the  Trapper.  "  No,  no,  jedge,  ye 
needn't  send  the  hoy  for  the  tack,  for  the  hole  that 
the  lead  made  shows  daylight  through  it,  and  I 
warrant  that  Henry  has  a  key  that'll  fit  it."  And 
even  as  he  spoke  the  rifle  of  Henry  rose  to  its  aim, 
with  a  motion  hut  a  little  less  careless  apparently, 
than  had  been  the  movement  of  the  Trapper's,  and 
exploded,  and  the  bullet  passed  so  neatly  through 
the  orifice  made  by  the  former  that  scarcely  a  splinter 
was  stirred  around  the  ragged  edges  of  the  hole. 

"•  That's  a  true  piece  of  yourn,"  said  the  Trapper, 
"  and  many  a  scrimmage  with  the  redskin  have  T 
had  when  its  crack  would  have  been  better  than  a 
psalm  tune  in  my  ear.  Yis,  the  two  pieces  be  pitched 
on  one  key,  as  the  fiddlers  say,  when  they  be  tuning 
for  a  jig."  And  while  he  had  been  talking,  the  rifle 
had  again  been  lifted,  settled  into  his  hand,  and  at 
the  closino;  word  cracked  strono^  and  clear.  The 
smoke  had  not  vanished  in  the  air  before  the  piece  of 
Herbert  responded,  and  the  first  trial  was  over. 

"  There,  jedge,"  said  the  Trapper,  "ye'll  find  that 
hole  bored  by  a  sharp  auger  and  cut  in  a  business-like 
way.  I  shall  sartiidy  be  surprised  ef,  when  ye  put  yer 
eye  to  the  hole  and  turn  it  up  to  the  sky,  ye  can  see 
any  shape  in  it  but  what  four  bullets  ought  to  make 
when  they  foller  each  other  as  straight  as  young  otters 
swimmin'  a  crick." 


298  ADIEOXDACK    TALES. 

The  board  was  inspected  by  the  judges,  and  then 
it  started  on  its  mission  among  the  crowd.  And  as 
the  Old  Trapper  had  predicted,  no  eye  could  detect 
that  more  than  one  bullet  had  passed  through  the 
opening,  unless,  perhaps,  it  were  slightly  eidarged  and 
freer  of  splinters  than  would  been  the  case  had  but 
one  bullet  penetrated  it. 

The  Trapper  and  Herbert  cleaned  their  rifles  and 
recharged  them  with  the  painstaking  carefulness  of 
men  who  thoroughly  understand  how  delicate  are  the 
causes  which  command  success  in  such  work  as  they 
were  now  being  called  upon  to  do ;  and  how  the 
slightest  neglect  in  the  treatment  of  their  guns  would 
endanger  success.  Indeed,  if  the  two  pieces  had  been 
animate  and  sensitive  to  their  touch  they  could  not 
have  handled  them  with  greater  care,  nor  treated  them 
with  more  tender  regard. 

"  All  right,  squire,"  said  the  Trap})er,  as  he  lifted 
the  piece  into  the  hollow  of  his  arm,  "  Henry  and  me 
be  ready  for  any  other  leetle  playfulness  ye  may  p'int 
out  to  us." 

"  Has  any  one  a  pack  of  cards,"  said  the  judge. 
"  Perhaps  our  friend  here  has  some,"  —  and  he 
turned  to  the  gambler,  who  chanced  to  be  standing 
near  him. 

"  It  is  very  singular,"  said  our  silent  friend,  as  he 
drew  a  pack  out  of  his  pocket,  "  that  I  happen  to 
have  such  an  article  about  me.  I  don't  remember 
how  they  happened  to  get  into  my  pocket.  I  presume 
that  my  wife  made  a  mistake  and  put  them  in  instead 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  299 

o£  something  else  about  the  same  size,  which  she  has 
a  fondness  for  advising  me  to  carry  around  with  me. 
If  these  aren't  colored  just  right,"  said  he,  as  he 
pulled  out  another  pack,  "  it  may  be  these  will  suit 
better.  Or,  if  the  Old  Trapper,  whom  I  owe  some- 
thing for  good  advice  he  has  given  me  to-day,  would 
fancy  a  more  neutral  tint,  I'll  just  step  up  to  my 
chamber  and  see  what  there  may  be  in  the  bottom  of 
the  trunk." 

"Lord,  Lord!"  said  the  Trapper,  "ye  haven't  a 
cart-load  of  the  pesky  picturs  have  ye?  Them  leetle 
keerds  will  sartinly  be  the  death  of  ye  yit ;  and  I  dare 
say  this  be  the  only  honest  use  they  was  ever  put  to. 
As  for  the  color,  it  don't  make  any  difference,  jedge, 
ef  Henry  and  me  can  only  see  the  spots  through  the 
sights." 

In  a  moment  the  deuce  of  spades  was  fastened  to 
the  target,  by  a  tack  driven  at  an  equal  distance 
between  the  spots,  and  the  crowd  stood  expectant. 

"I  want  to  have  ye  understand,"  said  the  Trapper, 
"  and  I  want  the  wimmin  folks  to  understand,  that  me 
and  Herbert  don't  call  this  anythin'  more  than  com- 
mon shootin',  for  the  markin'  shows  plain  and  the 
light  be  good,  and  the  distance  no  greater  than  the 
eye  can  manage.  But  it's  good  enough,  perhaps,  to 
start  with,  and  it  may  be "  —  and  here  his  piece 
exploded  —  "  we'll  git  down  to  some  raal  fine  w^ork 
arter  a  wliile.  No,  no,"  continued  he,  as  the  target 
tender  was  about  to  inspect  the  target,  "  ye  needn't 
look  at  the  leetle  keerd,  for  the  buUit  be  in  the  upper 


300  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

spot,  and  the  reason  it  don't  show  is  because  the  patch 
of  ink  be  bigger  than  the  hole  that  the  lead  made. 
Come,  Henry,  git  the  lead  out  of  yer  gun,  for  we 
don't  want  to  fool  away  any  time  in  gittin'  ready  to 
do  some  raal  shootin'.  There,  jedge,"  continued  the 
old  man,  whose  words  had  been  scarcely  divided  in 
their  utterance  by  the  crack  of  Herbert's  piece  — 
''  now  there  be  two  bullits  that  be  eenamost  as  big  as 
the  markin's  on  the  keerd,  and  yit  ye'll  find  that  ye 
can't  see  even  the  grease  stain  that  the  lead  made 
when  it  passed  through,  beyend  the  black.  It  may  be 
handier  for  the  boy  to  bring  the  keerd  in  ef  he  has 
that  tack  drawed  for  him,  and  so  to  save  time  we'll 
start  it  a  leetle."  And  even  with  the  words  the 
smoke  burst  from  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle,  and  the  card 
fluttered  downward  to  the  earth. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  feelings  of  the  spec- 
tators. The  shootin o'  had  been  so  accurate  as  to 
astonish  them ;  and  yet  the  aim  of  the  marksmen 
had  been  so  quick  that  it  bordered  apparently  on 
carelessness  —  the  carelessness  of  studied  art,  or  else 
of  men  who,  in  doing  what  they  had  done,  had  not 
felt  themselves  called  upon  to  bring  into  exercise  the 
resources  of  that  ability  which  had  given  to  one  a 
fame  beyond  question,  and  had  made  for  the  other 
the  reputation  of  being  the  only  man  who  could  com- 
pete with  him. 

The  committee  conferred  apart  for  a  moment,  and 
then  they  produced  a  bottle,  and  turning  to  the 
Trapper,  the  judge  said  :  — 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MJJCH.  301 

"  We  have  heard,  John  Norton,  that  you  have  been 
seen  to  uncork  a  bottle  Kke  this  with  your  bullet  at 
fifty  paces." 

"  Sartinly,  sartinly,"  said  the  Trap^Der.  "  It  be  no 
great  thing  to  do,  and  I  dare  say  Henry,  here,  has 
done  the  same  hunduds  of  times ;  and  it  ])e  the 
only  way  in  which  a  rifleman  can  use  the  bottle  and 
keep  the  sartinty  of  his  aim.  For  there's  nothin' 
that  upsots  a  man's  narves  more  than  drinkin',  and  I 
never  seed  a  man,  who  was  a  rum-drinker,  have  eyes 
wuth  a  cent  when  ye  come  down  to  fine  work  — 
'specially  on  a  windy  day.  But  Henry  and  me  will 
uncork  as  many  bottles  as  ye  want  us  to,  and  we'll 
never  start  a  flake  from  the  nozzle,  and  we  won't 
upsot  a  bottle  nuther." 

The  Englishmen  who  were  standing  by,  and  who 
were  getting  intensely  interested  in  the  shooting  they 
had  already  seen,  plainly  stated  to  those  standing 
nigh  their  utter  incredulity  that  such  a  feat  could 
be  performed.  And  in  courteous  phrase  they  plainly 
stated  the  same  to  the  committee,  and  even  to  the 
Trapper  himself. 

"  Look  here,  jedge,"  said  the  old  man,  "  talkin' 
about  it  won't  do  it,  and  the  thing  can  be  did,  you 
can  depend  on't.  But  ef  ye  want  to  see  Henry  and 
me  git  right  down  to  work,  and  ef  ye  want  to  see 
what  barrels  w^e've  got  to  squint  over,  ye  had  better 
bring  out  some  of  them  bottles  whose  corks  be  wdred 
down  ;  for  while  eenamost  anybody,  who  has  the  gift 
of  handlin'  the  rifle,  can  uncork  the  common  bottles, 


302  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

yit  it  takes  an  oncommon  barrel,  and  a  sharp  eye  and 
a  finofer  that  knows  how  to  work  with  it,  to  draw  one 
of  them  wired  kind.  But  it  can  be  did,  and  here  be 
the  men  and  here  be  the  guns  that  can  do  it  " 

The  murmurs  and  ejaculations  which  ros3  from  the 
crowd  revealed  the  fact  that  the  incredulity  was  felt 
not  only  by  the  Englishmen,  but  by  the  spectators 
also.  Indeed,  discussions  started  on  the  instant. 
Here  and  there  a  voice  w\as  heard  declaring  the  cer- 
tainty of  its  being  done.  Here  and  there  a  guide 
positively  declared  that  he  had  seen  Herbert  do  it. 
And  the  gambler,  acting  true  to  the  instinct  of  his 
profession,  boldly  declared,  with  mock  seriousness, 
that  he  "  had  no  faith  in  the  bottle,  and  would  back 
the  Trapper  against  it  two  to  one." 

While  all  this  had  been  going  on,  the  clerks  of  the 
hotel  had  produced  four  champagne  bottles,  whose 
corks  were  quite  prominent,  but  most  thoroughly  wired 
down  ;  and,  having  been  inspected  by  the  English- 
men and  the  committee,  they  were  jilaced  on  the 
railing  that  ran  round  the  lake  side  of  the  wharf. 

"  Now,"  said  the  Trapper,  as  he  tapped  the  stock 
of  his  rifle,  "  there  ain't  but  two  guns  in  the  woods 
that  a  man  could  depend  on  to  do  sech  a  job,  and 
they  be  twins.  And  there  sartinly  ain't  but  two 
men  who  can  draw  them  corks  in  the  way  the  boy  and 
me  will  sartinly  do  onless  something  onusual  happens. 
Henry,"  said  the  Old  Trapper,  ''  ye  take  the  one  to 
the  left,  and  be  keerful  of  the  glint  of  the  sun  on 
the  nozzle;  for  it's  likely  to   divart    the  aim.     Now, 


THE  MAX  WHO   DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  303 

jedge,  ye  put  yer  eyes  onto  that  cork,  and  I'll  give 
ye  the  silver  horn  ef  ye  can  tell  where  it  goes  to." 

If  there  had  been  any  carelessness  in  the  action  of 
the  Trapper  and  Herbert  in  their  previous  efforts, 
there  certainly  was  none  now  in  the  movements  of  the 
young  man  as  he  prepared  to  perform  the  extraordi- 
nary feat  that  he  was  called  upon  to  do. 

The  crowd  became  breathless.  The  silence  was  as 
profound  as  it  could  possibly  be.  He  straightened 
himself  to  his  full  height,  advanced  his  left  foot, 
pressed  the  trigger  to  the  set,  and,  lifting  the  rifle  to 
his  shoulder,  passed  his  eye  into  the  sight,  andj  with 
a  motion  as  true  and  precise  as  if  the  muzzle  was 
beinof  moved  in  steel  o-rooves,  the  barrels  beo'an  to 
pass  from  right  to  left  toward  the  cork.  And  even 
w^ien  it  exploded,  the  rifle  was  still  in  motion,  and  so 
little  had  the  discharge  disturbed  the  marksman  that 
the  motion,  with  the  same  precision,  contained  an 
instant  after  the  bullet  had  been  sped.  The  bottle 
waved  a  trifle  on  its  base,  spun  half-round  and  stopped, 
and  the  eyes  of  the  spectators  saw  the  froth  of  the 
spirited  contents,  no  longer  restrained,  foaming  out  of 
the  mouth. 

"  I  am  sorry  ye  started  the  bottle,  Henry.  Yis,  I 
am  sartinly  sorry  ye  started  the  bottle  ;  and  I  don't 
understand  the  reason  of  it,  boy.  I  should  eenamost 
think  that  ye  wasn't  quite  parfect  in  yer  narves  to- 
day, onless  I  had  watched  ye  in  yer  aim.  AYhat  was 
the  reason  of  the  joggle,  Henry  ?  Did  the  tumbler 
creep  a  leetle,  or  wasn't  the  tube  quite  free  ?  " 


304  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

"  The  wires  over  the  corks  are  unusually  strong," 
said  Herbert. 

"  It  may  be  so/'  said  the  Trapper.  "  E£  ye  say  it's 
so,  it  must  be  so,  and  we'll  see  ef  it  be  so  in  a  minit, 
for  the  same  thing  don't  happen  twice  onless  there  be 
reason  in  it." 

The  old  man  paused.  He  looked  an  instant  at  the 
minute  mark  ahead  of  him,  drew  himself  up,  advanced 
his  left  foot  lightly,  and  as  his  huge  frame  came  to 
its  perfect  balance  —  in  a  pose  that  an  artist  would 
have  loved  to  sketch,  —  he  swept  his  rifle  upward,  and 
dropping  it  into  his  extended  hand,  it  rested  there  for 
an  instant,  while  his  eve  settled  into  the  sio-ht,  and 
then  burst  out  its  flame. 

So  intense  was  the  nervous  tension  on  the  part  of 
the  spectators  that  nearly  every  individual  member  of 
the  crowd  actually  jumped  as  the  rifle  cracked.  The 
bottle  swayed,  spun  round,  tottled  for  an  instant,  then 
stopped,  while  the  froth  spurted  sharply  a  foot  or  more 
into  tli3  air. 

"  That's  enough,"  said  the  judge.  "  That's  enough," 
he  repeated ;  and  the  Englishmen  nodded  as  he  looked 
at  them,  "  I  have  seen  what  I  never  would  have  be- 
lieved had  I  not  seen  it." 

"  Yis,  yis,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  it  be  enough ;  and 
ye  see  the  boy  was  right.  The  wire  be  strong,  as  he 
said,  and  the  corks  set  deep  in,  and  the  thing  can't  be 
did  without  jostlin'  the  bottle.  But  ye  give  me  a 
common  bottle  and  a  common  cork,  and  Henry  and 
me  will  snap  'em  out  for  ye  without  startin'  a  ripple 
on  the  liquor  inside." 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  305 

^'  Now,"  said  the  judge,  "  we  will  give  you  a  flying 
shot.  And  the  man  that  stands  the  test  will  get  the 
silver  horn." 

"  Ye'll  have  to  split  it,  then,"  said  the  Trapper ; 
"  for  I  can  see  that  Henry's  warmin'  to  the  work,  and 
his  piece  be  workin'  to  parfection.  What  be  the  trial, 
jedge?" 

"  It  is  this,"  was  the  reply,  and  he  took  a  couple  of 
potatoes  from  his  pocket  and  handed  them  to  the 
Lad. 

"  All  right,"  said  the  Trapper.  ''  Yer  language  be 
as  plain  as  the  pictur'  talk  of  the  redskins.  Now, 
lad,  toss  'em  straight  and  toss  'em  high.  Henry,  you 
take  the  fust  un,  and  I'll  take  the  second.  Now, 
lad,  wait  for  the  word.  Ready  with  yer  piece,  Henry. 
One,  two,  three,  heave  !  " 

At  the  word  the  Lad  pitched  the  potato.  Upward 
it  soared,  and  as  it  came  to  the  a^ex  of  its  flight, 
Herbert's  rifle  cracked,  and  the  potato  disappeared. 

"  Heave  agin  !  "  said  the  Trapper,  and  while  the 
potato  which  the  Lad  pitched  earnestly  into  the  air  was 
still  going  up,  the  bullet  of  the  Trapper  caught  it  and 
drove  it  into  a  thousand  pieces ! 

"There,"  said  the  Trajiper  to  the  judge,  "Henry 
showed  ye  the  science  of  the  thing,  for  he  waited  as  a 
man  should,  when  life  or  honor  depend  on  his  shot, 
and  took  it  at  the  proper  p'int.  And  I  showed  ye  the 
trick  of  the  thing,  and  shot  as  a  man  who  is  over-sure 
of  his  game,  and  don't  wait  till  his  jedgment  tells  him 
to  act.     Yis,    the    boy's  shot  was  a  jedgmatical  one, 


306  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

and  shows  that  he  mixes  his  brains  with  his  powder 
when  he  shoots ;  and  that  will  sartinly  win  agin  haste 
ef  there  be  chances  enough.  I  don't  think  that  ye 
know  for  sartin  who  has  got  that  horn  yit,  jedge  !  " 
and  the  Old  Trapper  laughed  till  his  great  strong  face 
fairly  beamed  with  good-nature. 

"  Come,  jedge,  what  have  ye  got  next  ?  The 
pieces  be  ready,  and  the  horn  don't  know  whether 
it's  goin'  to  the  settlements  or  will  stay  in  the  woods 
yit." 

"  We've  got  but  one  more,"  responded  the  judge, 
"  and  the  committee  did  not  dream  that  they  would 
have  to  resort  to  it.  Nor  do  we  suppose  now  that  it 
will  be  of  any  avail,  for  we  firmly  believe,  as  do  all  to 
whom  we  have  mentioned  it,  that  it  is  beyond  the 
possibility  of  human  skill  to  accom])lish.  The  target 
will  be  a  flying  one,  and  it  will  not  be  revealed  to  you 
until  it  is  in  swiftest  motion  ;  for  we  shall  place  your 
backs  to  us  and  deliver  it  over  your  heads.  You  may 
take  positions  ;  and  we  trust  you  will  not  blame  us  if 
the  trial  should  seem  unreasonable." 

"  Lord-a-massy,  jedge,  Henry  and  me  don't  care 
what  ye  start  agoin'  over  our  heads,  for  there  be 
nothin'  that  goes  so  fast  that  a  bullit  can't  overtake  it, 
onless  it  be  another  bullit ;  and  ye  may  heave  anythin' 
ye  be  a  mind  to  and  sot  it  travellin'  as  fast  as  ye  please, 
and  I  warrant  that  we'll  stop  it  for  ye  afore  it  gits  a 
hundred  feet  from  the  muzzle  of  our  guns.  Come, 
boy,  back  up  ;  the  Lord  only  knows  wdiether  it  be  a 
stun  or  a  panther  that  the  jedge  has  got  in  his  hands^ 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  307 

and  the  sooner  the  thing  gets  in  motion,  the  quicker 
we'll  git  our  eyes  onto  it." 

The  two  men  stationed  themselves  in  front  of  the 
judge  with  their  backs  tow^ards  him  —  each  in  posi- 
tion, and  each  rifle  at  a  poise.  In  a  moment  the 
crowd  actually  shook  and  SAvayed  with  tumult. 
Laughter,  and  roars,  and  exclamations  such  as  ''  That 
isn't  fair  !  "  "  Yes,  it  is  too,"  "  Let  them  try  it  anyhow. 
There  isn't  much  danger  that  they'll  hit  it." 

"  Are  you  ready,  gentlemen  ?  "  said  the  judge. 

"  Sartinly,  sartinly,"  responded  the  Trapper,  "  let 
her  come,  jedge  ;  panther  or  stun,  or  whatever  it  be, 
the  pieces  will  bust  ef  they  wait  much  longer." 

"  Ready  'tis,"  said  the  judge.     "  Noio  !  " 

He  opened  his  hands,  stretched  over  the  heads  of 
the  two  men.  A  whirr,  a  buzz,  a  roar  of  wings,  and 
a  brown  object  glanced  through  the  air  straight  from 
the  two  men  as  a  bullet  could  spin. 

A  flash  of  lightning  is  not  quicker  than  was  the 
motion  of  the  two  guns,  as  they  were  swept  to  their 
level.  The  explosion  of  one  of  the  pieces,  at  least^ 
did  not  wait.  The  partridge  had  not  gone  a  hundred 
feet  before  the  bullet  of  Herbert's  gun  overtook  it, 
and  actually  blew  it  into  fragments ! 

The  Trapper  had  not  fired.  He  had  checked  him- 
self in  the  very  act  of  pulling  the  trigger  —  his  rifle 
dropped  into  the  hollow  of  his  arm,  and  turning  to 
Henry,  he  said  :  — 

"  The  life  that  the  Maker  gives  them  be  sweet  to 
his  creturs,  Henry,  and  may  the  Lord  forgive  ye  for 


308  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

takin',  without  cause,  the  life  that  ye  cannot  give  back 
to  the  bird.  No,  no,  boy,  I  don't  blame  ye  ;  ye  was 
taken  onawares,  and  it  was  quick  work,  and  I  come 
near  jinin'  in  the  murder  myself.  I  tell  ye,  squire," 
said  the  old  man,  as  he  turned  to  the  judge,  ^^ye  have 
did  an  onwise  thing,  and  in  yer  merriment  made  an 
innercent  man  do  a  deed  he  would  not  naterally  do. 
No,  no,  the  horn  isn't  worth  a  life  to  John  Norton, 
even  ef  that  life  be  the  life  of  the  smallest  of  God's 
creturs ;  onless  the  takin'  of  it  can  be  of  sarvice  to 
man." 

The  Old  Trapper  had  said  this  with  all  the  solemn 
gravity  of  a  man  who  was  speaking  from  the  convic- 
tion not  only  of  principle,  but  of  life-long  practice, 
and  as  one  who  had  forgotten  in  the  larger  and  graver 
thought  the  smaller  and  lighter  one  of  the  sports 
around  him.  And  as  he  closed,  he  turned  to  Henry 
in  the  act  of  speaking  ;  but  Herbert  —  who,  while  he 
sympathized  with  the  old  man's  sentiments,  and  deeply 
regretted  that,  betrayed  by  the  suddenness  of  the 
event,  he  had  unnecessarily  taken  a  life  —  was  never- 
theless anxious,  lest,  in  the  mind  of  some  of  the 
crowd,  not  to  say  in  the  mind  of  the  judge  himself, 
the  Old  Trapper's  fame  might  suffer,  checked  him  by 
the  motion  of  his  hand,  and  pointed  his  finger  out 
over  the  lake. 

The  old  man's  face  lighted,  for  he  saw  not  only 
what  Herbert  had  pointed  at,  —  a  large  fleecy  plume, 
that,  torn  from  the  skin  of  a  bird,  Avas  still  drifting  in 
the  golden  air,  —  but  also  the  generous  thought  of  his 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  309 

companion's  heart  for  him.  He  turned  to  the  judge, 
and  said :  — 

"  Do  ye  see,  jedge,  what  the  boy  means  ?  Do  ye 
see  that  bit  of  down  floatin'  out  there  across  the  sun, 
that  came  from  the  back  of  the  bird?  The  boy 
wants  me  to  shoot  at  it ;  for  he  fears  lest  the  man 
whose  head  has  whitened  in  the  woods  should  lose  his 
fame  here  to-day  ;  and  I'm  glad  he  has  did  what  he 
has  did,  for  while  it's  nothin'  he  can't  do  himself,  yit 
it  is  enough  to  show  these  ladies,  here,  and  yerself, 
too,  that  John  Norton's  finger  didn't  quit  the  trigger 
when  he  lined  the  sights  on  the  bird  because  he  feared 
his  lead  would  go  wild. 

"  Now,  Henry,"  he  continued,  "  yer  heart  be  right 
toward  an  old  man,  and  he'll  remember  yer  thought 
in  his  behalf  when  the  miles  be  atween  us,  and  ye  be 
in  the  settlements  amid  many  and  I  be  by  the  fire  in 
the  cabin  alone.  Yis,  boy,  it's  nothing  ye  can't  do, 
for  ye  have  mastered  the  wepon,  and  ef  I  could  live 
my  life  over,  I  would  ask  no  better  way  of  spendin'  it 
than  to  spend  it  together  with  ye  in  the  woods,  for  yer 
piece  and  yer  heart  be  both  true.  Yis,  ye  sartinly  could 
do  it,  but  ye  sartinly  couldn't  do  it  quicker  than  this  !  *' 
—  and  with  a  motion  so  quick  that  those  who  stood 
nighest  to  him  started  back,  the  old  man  jerked  his  rifle 
into  the  air,  and  before  it  would  seem  it  were  possible 
for  hand  and  eye'  to  have  come  into  conjunction,  the 
smoke  belched  from  the  muzzle,  and  the  golden- 
colored  plume  that  had  come  from  the  poor  bird's 
back,  lying  swathed  as  it  was  in  the  warm  red  rays  of 


310  ABIBONDACK  TALES. 

the  declining  sun,  darted  forward  through  the  air  as  if 
a  minute  jet  of  wind  had  struck  it  in  the  centre,  and 
when  it  stopped  the  two  halves  floated  off  and  stood 
inches  apart. 

The  shooting  was  ended.  The  voice  of  the  judge 
only  expressed  the  unanimous  feeling  of  the  crowd 
when  he  proclaimed  "  that  no  further  trial  could  with 
propriety  be  made,  and  that  the  silver  horn  would  be 
given  to  the  two  contestants ;  leaving  it  in  their  hands 
as  their  joint  property." 

A  happier  conclusion,  or  one  more  gratifying  to 
Herbert  and  the  Trapper,  or  to  the  spectators,  could 
not  have  terminated  the  day's  sports.  In  connection 
with  the  announcement  the  committee  of  arranofcments 
further  proclaimed  that  in  honor  of  the  occasion  the 
proprietor  of  the  hotel  would  furnish  an  entertainment 
to  the  guests  of  the  house,  and  the  visitors  from  the 
adjoining  houses,  who  could  make  it  convenient  to 
remain,  and  that  the  evening  would  be  spent  in  merry- 
makino"  —  of  Avhich  music  and  dancing:  would  form  an 
attractive  and  prominent  feature.  In  short,  they  pro- 
posed to  have  a  ball ! 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE    BALL. 

*'  Then  music  arose  with  its  voluptuous  swell."—  Byron. 

It  was  evening  —  dark,  cool,  and  starry.  The  earth 
and  Avater  lay  hidden  in  the  dusky  gloom.  Above, 
the  stars  were  at  their  brightest.  They  gleamed  and 
glowed,  flashed  and  scintillated,  like  jewels  fresh  from 
the  case.  Their  fires  were  many-colored  —  orange, 
yellow,  and  red  :  and  here  and  there  a  great  diamond, 
fastened  into  the  zone  of  night,  sent  out  its  intense, 
colorless  brilliancy.  Through  all  the  air  silence 
reigned.  The  winds  had  died  away,  and  the  waters 
had  settled  to  repose.  No  gurgle  along  the  shore  ;  no 
splash  against  the  great  logs  that  made  the  wharf ;  no 
bird  of  night  calling  to  its  mate.  Outside  all  was 
still.  Nature  had  drawn  the  curtains  around  her  couch, 
and,  screened  from  sight,  lay  in  profound  repose. 

Within  all  was  light,  and  bustle,  and  gayety.  From 
every  window  lights  streamed  and  flashed.  The  large 
parlors  were  alive  with  moving  forms.  The  piano, 
whose  white  keys  were  swept  by  whiter  hands,  tinkled 
and  rang  in  hveliest  measure.  The  dance  was  at  its 
height ;  and  the  very  floor  seemed  vibrant  with  the 
pressure  of  lively  feet.  The  dancers  advanced,  retired, 
wheeled  and  swayed  in  easy  circles,  swept  up  and 
down,  and  across  the  floor  in  graceful  lines. 


312  ADIBOKDACK  TALES. 

Amid  the  happy  scene  tlie  Old  Trapper  stood,  his 
stalwart  frame  erect  as  in  his  prime  ;  while  his  great 
strong  face  fairly  beamed  in  benediction  npon  the 
dancers.  For  his  nature  had  within  its  depths  that 
fine  capacity  which  enabled  it  to  receive  the  bright- 
ness of  surrounding  hapj)iness  and  reflect  it  again. 

It  was  a  study  to  watch  his  face,  and  mark  the  pas- 
sage of  his  changeful  moods :  surprise,  delight,  and 
broad,  warm-hearted  humor,  as  they  came  to  and 
played  across  the  resjionsive  features.  The  man  of 
the  woods,  of  the  lonely  shore,  and  of  silence,  seemed 
perfectly  at  home  amid  the  noise  and  commotion  of 
human  merry-making. 

At  last  the  music  died  away.  The  dancers  checked 
their  feet.  The  lady  who  had  been  playing  the  piano 
rose  wearily  from  the  instrument  and  joined  a  group 
of  friends.  The  music  was  not  adequate.  The  notes 
were  too  sharp ;  too  isolate  ;  they  did  not  flow  to- 
gether. There  was  no  sweep  and  swing,  nor  suavity 
of  connected  progress,  in  the  strains.  The  instrument 
could  not  lift  the  dancers  up  and  swing  them  onward 
through  the  mazy  motions. 

"  I  tell  ye,  Henry,"  said  the  Old  Trapper,  as  he 
turned  to  Herbert,  who  was  standing  by  his  side,  "  the 
pianer  isn't  the  thing  to  dance  by,  for  sartin.  It 
tinkles  and  chippers  too  much  ;  it  rattles  and  clicks. 
It  don't  git  hold  of  the  feelin's,  Henry; — it  don't 
start  the  blood  in  yer  veins,  nor  set  yer  skin  tinglin', 
nor  make  the  feet  dance  agin  yer  will.  It's  good 
enough  in  its  way,  no  doubt ;  but  it  sartinly  isn't  the 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH  313 

thing  to  lift  the  young  folks  up  and  swing  'em  round. 
The  fiddle  be  the  thing ;  —  yis,  the  fiddle  be  sartinly 
the  thing.  I  would  give  a  good  deal  ef  w^e  had  a 
fiddle  here  to-night,  for  I  see  the  boys  and  girls  miss 
it.  Lord-a-massy  !  how  it  would  set  'em  agoin'  ef  we 
only  had  a  fiddle  here." 

"  John  Norton,"  said  the  Lad,  who  was  sitting  on 
a  chair  hidden  aw^ay  behind  the  Trapper,  "  John  Nor- 
ton," and  the  Lad  took  hold  of  the  sleeve  of  his  jacket 
and  pulled  the  Trapper's  head  down  towards  him, 
"would  you  like  to  hear  a  violin  to-night?" 

"  Like  to  hear  a  fiddle  ?  Lord  bless  ye,  lad,  I  guess 
I  would  like  to  hear  a  fiddle.  I  never  seed  a  time  I 
wouldn't  give  the  best  beaver  hide  in  the  lodge  to 
hear  the  squeak  of  the  bow  on  the  strings.  What's 
the  matter  with  ye,  lad  ?  What  makes  ye  look  so, 
boy  ?  " 

Well  might  he  ask  the  question,  for  the  Lad's  face 
was  absolutely  radiant.  His  eyes  w^ere  glowing  and 
his  lips  fairly  apart  as  if  with  suppressed  eagerness, 
the  eaoferness  of  restrained  excitement. 

"  John  Norton  !  "  said  the  Lad,  and  he  drew^  the 
old  man's  head  still  closer  to  him  until  his  ear  was 
within  a  few  inches  of  his  mouth,  "  I  love  to  play  the 
violin  better  than  I  love  anything  in  the  world,  and 
I've  got  one  of  the  best  ones  you  ever  heard,  out  there 
in  the  bow  of  the  boat." 

"  Heavens  and  'arth,  lad !  "  ejaculated  the  Trap- 
per, "  did  ye  say  ye  could  play  the  fiddle,  and  that  ye 
had  a  good  one  out  there  in  the  boat  ?     Lord-a-massy  ! 


314  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

how  the  young  folks  will  hop.  Scoot  out  there  and 
git  it,  boy,  and  Henry  and  me  will  let  the  folks  know 
what  ye've  got  and  what  ye  can  do." 

The  Lad  fairly  flashed  out  of  the  room.  He  was 
gone  in  an  instant ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  had 
returned,  bearing  in  his  hands  a  bundle  which  he 
carried  as  carefully  as  a  mother  would  carry  her  babe  ; 
but  brief  as  had  been  his  absence  it  had  allowed 
sufficient  time  for  Herbert  to  communicate  Avith  the 
master  of  ceremonies  and  for  him  to  announce  to  the 
company  present  that  the  great  lack  of  the  occasion 
had  fortunately  and  unexpectedly  been  supplied  ;  for 
the  young  man  who  was  with  Mr.  Herbert  and  John 
Norton  not  only  knew  how  to  play  the  violin  but 
actually  had  one  in  his  boat  and  had  just  gone  to  get 
it,  and  would  be  back  in  a  moment.  The  announce- 
ment was  received  with  applause.  White  hands 
clapped,  and  a  hundred  ejaculations  of  wonderment 
sounded  forth  the  surprise  and  pleasure  of  the  eager 
throno".  And  when  the  Lad  came  stealinii"  in,  bearin<r 
his  precious  burden,  he  was  received  with  a  positive 
ovation. 

It  was  amusing  to  see  the  change  which  had  come 
over  the  looks  and  actions  of  the  company  at  the  men- 
tion and  appearance  of  the  violin.  The  faces  that 
had  shown  indifference  and  the  look  of  lanoniid  weari- 
ness  freshened  and  became  tense  in  all  their  lines ;  and 
on  their  heads  again  animation  sat  crowned.  Those 
who  were  seated  jumped  to  their  feet.  The  conversa- 
tionalists broke  their  circle  and  swung  suddenly  into 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  315 

line.  Eyes  sparkled.  Little  happy  screams  and  minia- 
ture war-whoops  from  the  boisterous  youngsters  rang 
through  the  parlor.  In  eye,  and  look,  and  voice,  the 
popular  tribute  spoke  in  honor  of  the  popular  instru- 
ment, —  an  instrument  whose  strings  can  sound  almost 
every  passion  forth :  the  quip  and  quirk  of  merri- 
ment, the  mourner's  wail,  the  measured  praise  of 
solemn  psalms,  the  lively  beat  of  joy,  the  subtle  charm 
of  indolent  moods,  and  the  sweet  ecstasy  of  youthful 
pleasure,  when  with  flying  feet  and  in  the  abandon  of 
delio'ht  she  swinofs,  circles,  and  floats  throuo^h  the 
measures  of  the  voluptuous  waltz. 

In  one  corner  of  the  parlor  there  was  a  platform, 
from  which  charades  and  private  theatricals  had 
been  acted  on  some  previous  evening,  and  to  this  the 
Lad  was  escorted ;  and  strange  to  say  his  awkwardness 
had  departed  from  him.  His  form  was  straight. 
His  head  raised.  His  shambling  gait  steadied  itself 
with  firmest  confidence.  His  long  arms  sought  no 
longer  feebly  to  hide  themselves,  but  held  the  pack- 
age that  he  carried  in  fond  authority  of  gesture,  as 
a  proud  young  mother,  whose  pride  has  banished  bash- 
fulness,  carries  a  beautiful  child  —  a  child  that  is  her 
own.  So  the  Lad  went  towards  the  raised  dais,  and 
seating  himself  in  the  chair,  proceeded  with  deliberate 
tenderness  to  uncover  the  instrument. 

An  old  dark-looking  one  it  was.  The  gloom  of  cen- 
turies darkened  it.  Their  dusk  had  penetrated  the 
very  fibres  of  the  wood.  Its  look  suggested  ancient 
times  ;  far  climes ;  and  hands  long  mouldering  in  dust. 


316  ADIBOXDACK    TALES. 

It  was  an  instrument  to  quicken  curiosity  and  elicit 
mental  interrogation.  What  was  its  story  ?  Where 
was  it  made  ?  By  whom,  and  when  ?  The  Lad  did 
not  know.  It  was  his  mother's  gift,  he  said.  An 
old  sea-captain  had  given  it  to  his  mother.  The  old 
sea-captain  had  found  it  on  a  wreck  in  the  far- 
off  Indian  Ocean.  He  found  it  in  a  trunk  —  a 
great  sea  chest,  made  of. scented  wood  and  banded 
with  brazen  ribs.  And  in  the  chest,  with  it,  it  was 
rumored  the  mariner  had  found  silks,  and  costly  fab- 
rics, and  gold  and  Eastern  gems,  —  gems  that  never 
had  been  cut ;  but  lay  in  all  their  barbaric  beauty, 
dull  and  svvarth  as  Cleopatra's  face.  Thus  the  violin 
had  been  found  on  the  far  seas  —  at  the  end  of  the 
world,  as  it  were,  in  companionship  of  gems  and 
fabrics  rich  and  rare ;  and  in  a  chest  whose  mouth 
breathed  odors.     This  was  all  the  Lad  knew. 

"  Henry,"  said  the  Old  Trapper,  "  the  lad  says  the 
fiddle  is  so  old  that  no  one  knows  how  old  it  is  ;  and 
I  conceit  the  boy  speaks  the  truth.  It  sartlnly  looks 
as  old  as  a  squaw  whose  teeth  has  dropped  out  and 
whose  eyes  are  half-shet,  and  her  face  the  color  of 
tanned  buckskin.  I  tell  ye,  Henry,  I  believe  it  will 
bust  ef  the  lad  draws  the  bow  with  any  'arnestness 
across  it,  for  there  never  was  a  glue  made  that  would 
hold  wood  together  for  a  thousand  year.  And  ef  that 
fiddle  isn't  a  thousand  year  old,  then  John  Norton  is 
no  jedge  of  appearances  and  can't  count  the  prongs 
on  the  horns  of  a  buck." 

At  this  instant  the  Lad  dropped  the  bow  on  to  the 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  317 


strings.  Strong  and  round,  mellow  and  sweet,  the 
note  swelled  forth ;  starting  with  the  least  filament 
of  sound,  it  wove  itself  into  a  compact  chord  of 
sonorous  resonance ;  filled  the  great  parlors  ;  passed 
through  the  doorway  into  the  receptive  stillness  out- 
side ;  charged  it  with  throbbings  —  thus  held  the  air 
a  moment ;  reigned  in  it  —  then  called  its  powers  back 
to  itself  ;  drew  in  its  vibrating  tones  ;  checked  its  un- 
dulating force ;  and  leaving  the  air  by  easy  retirement 
came  back  like  a  bird  to  its  nest  and  died  away 
within  the  recesses  of  the  dark  melodious  shell  from 
whence  it  started. 

When  the  bow  first  began  its  course  across  the 
strings  the  Old  Trapper's  eyes  were  on  it ;  and  as  the 
note  oTew  and  swelled  he  seemed  to  o^row  with  it. 
His  great  fingers  shut  into  their  palms  as  if  an  unseen 
power  was  pulling  at  the  cords.  His  breast  heaved 
full.  His  mouth  actually  opened.  It  was  as  if 
the  rising,  swelling,  pulsating  sounds  actually  lifted 
him  from  off  the  floor  on  which  he  stood  ;  and  when 
the  magnificent  note  ebbed  and  finally  died  away 
within  the  violin,  not  only  he,  but  all  the  company 
stood  breathless  :  charmed,  surprised,  astonished  into 
silence   at   the   wondrous  strain   they  had  heard. 

The  Old  Trapper  was  the  first  to  move.  He 
brought  his  brawny  hand  down  heavily  on  to  Her- 
bert's shoulder,  and  with  a  face  actually  on  fire  with 
the  fervor  stirred  within  him,  exclaimed  :  — 

"  Lord-a-massy !  Henry,  did  ye  ever  hear  a  noise 
like  that  ?  I  say,  boy,  did  ye  ever  hear  a  noise   like 


318  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

that ;  where  on  'arth  did  it  come  from  ?  Why,  boy. 
'twas  as  long  and  solemn  as  a  funeral,  as  'arnest  as 
the  cry  of  a  panther ;  and  roared  like  the  nest  of 
hornets  when  ye  poke  'em  up  with  a  stick.  If  that's 
a  fiddle  I  wonder  what  the  other  things  be  that 
I  have  heerd  the  half-breeds  and  the  Frenchers  play 
in  the  clearin's." 

Well  might  the  Old  Trapper  be  astonished.  The 
violin  of  unknown  age  and  make  was  one  among  ten 
thousand.  It  was  a  concert  to  hear  the  Lad  tune  it ; 
which  he  did  with  a  bold  and  skilful  touch,  and  the 
exactness  of  an  ear  which  nature  had  made  exquisitely 
true  to  time  and  chord.  His  bashfulness  was  gone. 
His  timidity  had  departed.  His  awkwardness,  even, 
went  out  of  body  and  arms  and  fingers  with  the 
initial  note.  His  soul  had  found  its  life  with  his 
mother's  gift ;  and  he  who  was  so  Aveak  and  hesitating 
in  ordinary  moments  found  courage  and  strength,  and 
the  dignity  of  a  master,  when  he  touched  the  strings. 
At  last  the  instrument  was  ready.  And  with  a  flour- 
ish bold  and  free  he  struck  into  the  measures  of  a 
waltz  that  filled  the  parlor  Avith  circling  noise,  and 
made  the  air  throb  and  beat  —  swing  and  swell, 
as  if  it  were  liquid,  and  unseen  hands  were  moving 
it  with  measured  undulations. 

There  was  no  resisting  an  influence  so  sweet,  subtle, 
and  pervasive  as  flowed  from  that  easy-going  bow, 
as  it  came  and  w^nt  over  the  resounding  strings. 
Couple  after  couple  swung  ofP  into  the  open  space 
until  the  entire  company  were  swinging  and  floating 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  319 

through  the  dreamy  and  bewitching  measures.  The 
god  of  music  was  actually  in  the  room,  and  his  strong, 
passionate  touch  was  on  the  souls  of  those  who  were 
floated  hither  and  thither  as  if  blown  by  his  invisible 
breath.  The  music  took  possession  of  the  dancers. 
It  banished  the  mortal  heaviness  from  their  frames, 
and  made  them  buoyant  so  that  their  feet  scarce 
touched  the  floor.  Up  and  down  and  across,  from 
side  to  side  and  end  to  end  they  whirled  and  floated. 
They  moved  as  if  a  power  which  took  the  place 
of  wings  was  in  them.  They  did  not  seem  to 
know  that  they  were  dancing.  They  did  not  dance  ; 
they  floated ;  flowing  like  a  current  moved  by  easy 
undulations.  Their  hands  were  clasped.  Their  faces 
nearly  touched.  Their  eyes  were  closed  or  glowing. 
And  still  the  long  bow  came  and  went,  and  still  the 
music  rose  and  sank,  and  swelled  and  ebbed  as  easy 
waves  advance,  retreat,  and  flood  again,  breaking  in 
white  and  lazy  murmurs  at  twilight  on  the  dusky 
beach. 

Herbert  stood  still ;  but  his  eyes  were  lifted,  the 
gaze  in  them  was  far  away,  and  one  foot  beat  the 
measure.  Beside  him  stood  the  Trapper.  His  arms 
were  crossed ;  his  eyes  were  on  the  bow  that  the  Lad 
was  drawing,  and  his  body  swayed,  lifted,  and  sank  in 
perfect  harmony  with  the  motions  and  the  accompany- 
ing sound,  with  a  grace  which  nature  only  reaches 
when  the  will  is  utterly  surrendered  to  a  power  that 
has  charmed  the  stiffness  and  tension  out  of  the  frame 
and  made  it  yielding  and  responsive. 


320  ABIBOXDACK  TALES. 

At  last  the  music  stopped ;  and  with  it  stopped  each 
form.  Each  foot  was  arrested  at  the  point  to  which 
the  sound  had  carried  it  when  it  paused.  Each 
couple  stood  in  perfect  pose.  The  motive  power 
which  moved  them  was  withdrawn,  and  the  limhs 
stood  motionless  as  if  the  soul  that  gave  them  anima- 
tion had  retired.  They  had  been  lifted  to  another 
world  —  a  world  of  impulse  and  movement  more  airy 
and  spirit-like  than  the  gross  earth,  —  and  it  took  a 
moment  for  them  to  struggle  back  to  ordinary  life. 
But  in  a  moment  thought  recalled  them  to  themselves, 
and  they  realized  the  mastery  of  the  power  that  had 
held  them  at  its  will,  and  the  applause  broke  out  in 
showers  of  happy  tumult.  They  crowded  around  the 
Lad  —  strong  men  and  beautiful  women,  —  gazing  at 
him  in  wonder  ;  then  broke  up  into  knots  talking  and 
marvelling.  In  the  Old  Trapper's  face,  as  he  gazed  at 
the  Lad,  a  strange  look  came,  —  the  look  of  a  man  to 
whose  soul  has  come  a  revelation  so  pure  and  sweet 
and  clear  that  he  is  unable  at  first  to  compass  it  with 
his  understanding.  lie  came  close  to  the  Lad,  and 
sitting  down  on  the  edge  of  the  platform,  put  his 
hand  on  the  knee  of  the  youth,  and  said :  — 

"  I  have  heerd  most  of  the  sweet  and  terrible  noises 
that  natur'  makes,  boy ;  I  have  heerd  the  thunder 
among  the  hills,  when  the  Lord  was  knockin'  agin  the 
'arth  until  it  jarred ;  and  I  have  heerd  the  wind  in  the 
pines  and  the  waves  on  the  beaches  when  the  darkness 
of  night  was  on  the  woods,  and  Natur'  was  singin'  her 
evenin'  psalm ;  and  there  be  no  bird  or  beast  the  Lord 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  321 

has  made  whose  cry,  be  it  lively  or  solemn,  I  have  not 
heerd ;  and  I  have  said  that  man  had  never  made  an 
instrument  that  could  make  so  sweet  a  noise  as  Natur' 
makes  when  the  Sperit  of  the  universe  speaks  through 
her  stillness ;  hut  ye  have  made  sounds  to-night,  lad, 
sweeter  than  my  ears  have  ever  heerd  on  hill  or  lake 
shore  at  noon  or  in  the  night  season,  and  I  sartinly 
believe  that  the  Sperit  of  the  Lord  has  been  with  ye, 
boy,  and  gin  ye  the  power  to  bring  out  sech  music  as 
the  Book  says  the  angels  make  in  their  happiness  in 
the  world  above.  I  trust  ye  be  grateful,  lad,  for  the 
gift  the  Lord  has  gin  ye ;  for,  though  yer  tongue 
knows  leetle  of  speech,  yit  yer  fingers  can  bring  sech 
sounds  out  of  that  fiddle  as  a  man  mio^ht  wish  to  have 
in  his  ears  wdien  his  body  lies  in  his  cabin,  and  his 
sj^erit  be  standin'  on  the  edge  of  the  Great  Clearin'. 
Yis,  lad,  ye  must  sartinly  play  for  me  when  my  eyes 
grow  dim,  and  my  feet  strike  the  trail  that  no  man 
strikes  but  once,  nor  travels  both  ways." 

At  this  point  the  announcement  of  supper  was 
made  ;  and  the  company  streamed  towards  the  tables. 
The  repast  was  of  that  bounteous  character  customary 
to  the  houses  located  in  the  w^oods,  in  which  the 
hearty  provisions  of  the  forest  were  brought  into  con- 
junction with  and  reinforced  by  the  more  light  and 
fanciful  cuisine  of  the  cities.  Fish  and  venison  pre- 
dominated. There  was  venison  roast  and  venison 
spitted,  and  venison  broiled,  venison  steak  and  venison 
pie.  Trout  broiled,  and  baked,  and  boiled ;  pancakes 
and  rolls  ;  ices  and  cream  ;  pies  and  puddings  ;  pickles 


322  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

and  sauces  of  every  conceivable  character  and  make ; 
ducks  and  partridges ;  coffee  and  tea  whose  nature,  we 
regret  to  say,  was  discernible  only  to  the  eye  of  faith. 
In  the  midst  of  this  abundance  the  Old  Trapper  was 
entirely  at  home.  He  ate  with  the  relish  and  hearti- 
ness of  a  man  whose  appetite  was  of  the  highest  order ; 
and  whose  courao-e  mounted  to  the  occasion. 

"  I  tell  ye,  Henry,"  said  the  old  man,  as  he  trans- 
ferred a  duck  to  his  plate,  and  proceeded  to  carve  it 
with  the  aptness  of  one  who  had  practical  knowledge 
of  its  anatomy,  "  I  tell  ye,  Henry,  the  birds  be  gittin' 
fat ;  and  I  sartinly  hope  the  flight  this  fall  will  be  a 
good  un.  Don't  be  bashful,  lad,  in  yer  eatin',''  he 
continued,  as  he  transferred  half  of  his  bird  to  his 
companion's  plate,  "  ye  haven't  got  tlie  size  of  some 
about  the  w^aist,  but  yer  length  be  in  yer  favor,  and  ef 
ye  will  only  straighten  up,  and  Henry  don't  gin  out, 
there'll  be  leetle  left  on  this  eend  of  the  table  when 
we  have  satisfied  our  hunger.  I  don't  know  when  the 
cravin'  of  natur'  has  been  stronger  within  me  then  it 
be  this  minit ;  and  ef  nothin'  happens,  and  ye  stand  by 
me,  the  Saranacers  will  remember  our  visit  for  days 
arter  we  be  o-one.  It  isn't  often  that  I  feed  in  the 
settlements,  or  git  a  taste  of  their  cookin',  but  the 
man  Avho  basted  these  birds  knowed  what  he  was 
doin',  and  the  fire  has  given  'em  jest  the  right  tech  ; 
and  the  morsels  act'ally  melt  in  yer  mouth." 

The  spirit  of  feasting  was  abroad.  And  the 
eatinir  such  as  would  astonish  the  dwellers  in  cities. 
Wit  flashed  across  the  table  in  answer  to  wit.     Mirth 


THE  MAN  WHO  DTD  NT  KNOW  MUCH  323 

rippled  from  end  to  end  of  the  room.  Laughter 
roared  and  rolHcked  adown  the  hall.  Jokes  were 
cracked.  Fun  exploded.  Plates  rattled.  Cups  and 
glasses  touched  and  rang.  Even  the  waiters  as  they 
came  and  went  in  their  happy  service  caught  the 
infection  of  the  surrounding  happiness  and  their 
laughter  mingled  with  that  of  the  guests. 

The  great  pine  branches  and  the  evergreens  nailed 
against  the  corner  posts  and  wjeathed  into  festoons 
along  the  walls  shook  and  trembled  in  the  uproar  as 
to  the  passage  of  winds  along  their  native  hills.  And 
the  huge  bucks'  heads,  whose  antlers  were  tied  with 
rosettes  and  streaming  ribbons,  lost  the  staring  look 
of  their  great  artificial  eyes  and  seemed  as  they  looked 
out  through  the  interlacing  boughs  of  cedar  and 
balsam  as  if  life  had  returned  to  them,  and  they  once 
more  were  animate. 

In  about  an  hour  the  company  streamed  back  into 
the  parlor,  with  a  mood  even  livelier  than  that  which 
had  characterized  the  early  hours  of  the  occasion. 
Their  minds  were  in  the  state  of  highest  action,  and 
their  bodies  needed  but  the  opportunity  for  rapid 
motion.  Even  the  Lad  had  caught  the  infection  of 
the  surrounding  liveliness,  for  his  eyes  and  face  glowed 
with  the  light  of  quickened  animation. 

"  Have  ye  got  any  jigs  in  that  fiddle,  lad,"  said 
the  Trapper  ;  '^  can  ye  twist  anythin'  out  of  yer  instru- 
ment that  will  set  the  feet  travellin'  ?  It  seems  to  me 
that  the  young  folks  here  want  shakin'  up  a  leetle  ; 
and  a  leetle  of  the  old-fashioned  dancin'  will  help  'em 


324  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

settle  the  vict'als.  Can  ye  liven  up,  lad,  and  give 
'em  a  tune  that  will  set  'em  whirlin'." 

The  only  reply  of  the  Lad  was  a  motion  of  the 
bow  ;  but  the  motion  was  effective  ;  for  it  sent  a  tor- 
rent of  notes  into  the  air,  which  thrilled  through  the 
body  and  tingled  along  the  nerves  like  an  electric 
shock.  The  Old  Trapper  fairly  bounded  into  the  air ; 
and  when  he  struck  the  floor  his  feet  were  flying. 
Nor  was  he  alone ;  the  jig  had  started  a  dozen  on  the 
instant ;  and  the  floor  rattled  and  rang  with  the  tap 
of  toe  and  heel. 

"  Henry,"  said  the  Old  Trapper,  "  hold  on  to  me 
or  I  shall  sartinly  make  a  fool  of  myself.  The  lad  be 
ticklin'  me  from  head  to  foot,  and  my  toes  be  snap- 
pin'  inside  of  'the  moccasins.  Lord,  who'd  'a'  thought 
that  the  blood  in  the  veins  of  a  man  whose  head  be 
whitenin'  could  be  sot  leapin'  as  mine  be  doin'  at  this 
minit  by  the  scrapin'  of  a  fiddle." 

The  Lad  was  a  picture  to  see.  His  bow  flew  like 
lightning.  His  long  fingers  drummed  and  slid  along 
the  strino's  of  the  violin  with  bewilderiniy  swiftness. 
The  little  instrument  jetted  and  effervesced  its  melody. 
The  continuous  and  resounding  noise  poured  out  of 
it  in  tuneful  bubbles.  The  air  was  full  of  tinkling 
fragments  of  sound.  The  Lad's  body  swayed  to  and 
fro.  His  face  glowed.  His  eyes  flashed.  The  sweat 
stood  in  drops  on  his  forehead,  but  still  the  bow 
snapped  and  crinkled,  and  the  instrument  continued  to 
burst  in  musical  explosion,  while  the  floor  shook ;  the 
windows  rattled ;  the  lamps  flared  and  fluttered,  as  the 
dancers  chased  the  music  on. 


THE  2IAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  325 

"  Heavens  and  'arth  !  "  said  the  Trapper.  "  I  can't 
stand  this,"  and  breaking  from  the  hold  that  Herbert 
had  on  him  he  whirled  himself  ont  to  the  centre  of 
the  floor,  and  with  his  face  aflame  with  excitement, 
and  his  white  hair  flying  abroad,  he  led  the  jig  men 
off  with  the  lightness  of  foot  and  rapidity  of  stroke 
that  forced  the  music  by  half  a  beat.  The  effect  was 
electric.  The  room  burst  with  applause,  and  the  Lad 
fetched  a  stroke  that  seemed  to  rip  the  violin  asunder. 
It  was  now  a  race  between  the  violin  and  the  dancers. 
One  after  another  fell  out  of  the  circle  as  the  moments 
passed,  until  the  Trapper  was  left  alone  and  was  cut- 
tino'  it  down  in  a  fashion  that  both  astonished  and 
convulsed  the  company.  More  than  one  of  the  spec- 
tators went  on  to  the  floor  in  paroxysms  of  laughter. 
Herbert,  bent  over  with  his  hands  on  his  knees,  was 
watching  the  Trapper  with  mouth  stretched  to  its 
utmost,  and  streaming  eyes.  The  gambler  was  jump- 
ing up  and  down,  utterly  beside  himself,  calling  for 
odds. 

It  is  impossible  to  say  which  would  have  triumphed, 
had  not  an  accident  decided  the  contest  and  brouofht 
the  jig  to  an  abrupt  termination.  For  even  while  the 
Lad  was  in  the  midst  of  the  swiftest  execution,  the 
hind  lesrs  of  the  chair  in  which  he  was  sittino-  were 
whipped  from  their  fastenings,  his  heels  went  into  the 
air,  and  he  turned  half  a  somersault  backward,  and 
the  music  stopped  with  a  snap. 

It  was  minutes  before  a  word  could  be  heard. 
Hoars  and  shrieks,  and  screams  of    irrepressible    and 


326  ADIBOXDACK   TALES. 

uncontrollable  merriment  shook  the  house  from  founda- 
tion to  garret.  The  Lad  picked  himself  up,  and  for 
the  first  time  since  they  met  Herbert  saw  his  placid 
countenance  wrinkled  and  seamed  with  the  contortions 
of  uproarious  mirth.  The  sluggishness  of  his  tempera- 
ment for  once  was  thoroughly  agitated,  and  the  man- 
hood which  never  before  had  come  to  the  surface 
found  in  hilarity  a  visible  and  adequate  expression. 
The  Trapper  had  spun  to  his  side  and  the  two  had 
joined  their  hands,  and  looking  into  each  other's  faces 
were  laughing  with  a  boisterousness  that  fairly  shook 
their  frames  and  exploded  in  resounding  peals. 

Gradually  the  uproar  suljsided,  and  the  company 
settled  by  easy  transition  to  a  quieter  mood.  The 
hours  of  the  night  were  passing,  and  the  moment 
drawing:  ni<>li  when  those  wlio  had  minoled  their 
merriment  must  part.  The  Old  Trapper  had  regained 
his  gravity,  and  his  countenance  had  settled  to  its  cus- 
tomary repose.  It  seemed  the  general  wish  that  the 
Lad  would  favor  them  with  a  farewell  piece,  and,  in 
compliance  with  the  request  of  many,  the  old  man 
turned  to  him  and  said  :  — 

"  The  hours  be  drawing  on,  lad,  and  it's  reasonable 
that  we  should  break  up ;  but  afore  we  go  the  folks 
wish  to  hear  ye  play  a  quiet  sort  of  a  piece  that  may 
be  cheerful  and  pleasant-like  for  'em  to  remember  ye 
by  when  we  be  gone.  So,  lad,  ef  ye  have  got  any  thin' 
in  yer  head  that's  soft  and  teching,  somethin'  that 
will  sort  o'  stay  in  the  heart  as  the  seasons  come  and 
go,  T  sartinly  hope  ye  will  play  it  for  'em.     And  as 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  327 

ye  say  ye  was  born  by  the  sea,  and  as  ye  say  the  in- 
strument ye  hold  in  yer  hand  was  given  ye  by  yer 
motlier,  it  may  be  ye  can  play  us  somethings  out  of  yer 
memory  that  shall  tell  us  of  her  goodness  to  ye. 
Somethin',  I  mean,  that  shall  tell  us  of  the  shore 
where  ye  was  born  and  the  love  that  ye  had  afore  ye 
laid  her  to  rest  and  came  to  the  woods.  Can  ye  play 
us  somethin'  like  that,  lad?" 

"  I  can  play  you  anything  that  has  mother  in  it," 
said  he,  and  a  wistful,  yearning,  hungry  look  came 
into  his  eyes,  and  the  edges  of  his  simple  lips  quiv- 
ered. 

The  company  saated  themselves,  and  the  boy  drew 
his  bow  across  the  instrument.  The  brush  of  a  pain- 
ter could  not  have  made  the  picture  more  perfect, 
than  the  vision  the  Lad  brouoht  forth  as  the  bow 
13layed  on  the  strings.  The  picture  of  a  sea,  sun- 
lighted  and  level,  and  stretching  far  out ;  the  picture 
of  a  curved  shore  :  the  shore  of  a  quiet  bay,  rimmed 
with  its  beach  of  shining  sand  and  noisy  with  the 
gurgle  and  splash  of  lapsing  waves ;  the  picture  of  a 
home  quiet  and  orderly,  and  filled  with  the  tenderness 
of  a  gentle  spirit ;  and  then  a  heavier  chord  told  of 
the  coming  of  a  darker  hour  when  the  mother  lay 
dying.  The  violin  fairly  sobbed  and  groaned  and 
wailed,  as  if  the  spirit  of  unconsolable  grief  were  tug- 
ing  heavily  at  the  strings.  Anon,  a  bell  tolled  sol- 
emnly out  of  it,  and  its  heavy  knell  clanged  through 
the  room-  And  then  the  music  rested  for  a  minute, 
and  in  the  silence  a  grave  came  in  sight  as  plainly  as 


328  ADTBOXDACK  TALES. 

if  the  eyes  of  all  were  actually  gazing  into  its  yawning 
mouth.  Again  the  music  sounded,  and  the  sods,  one 
after  another,  began  to  fall  on  the  coffin  dull  and  heavy, 
changing  to  a  smothered  sound  as  the  grave  filled. 
Once  more  it  paused,  and  then  a  clear,  sweet  strain 
arose,  sad,  but  pure,  and  fine,  and  hopeful,  as  voice  of 
anpfels  could  have  suno'  it,  trustful  and  resio^ned.  The 
bow  stopped  again ;  for  a  moment  the  violin  Avas 
silent.  And  then  the  Lad  lifted  his  face,  and,  laying 
the  bow  softly  upon  the  strhigs,  he  began  to  play 
what  all  instinctively  felt  was  a  hymn  to  the  spirit 
of  his  mother.  Slowly,  softly,  sweetly  as  the  strains 
which  the  dying  sometimes  hear,  the  pure,  clear, 
smooth  notes  stole  out  into  the  hushed  air.  It  was 
playing,  not  such  as  mortal  plays  to  mortal,  but  such 
as  spirit  might  play  to  spirit,  and  soul  to  soul,  across 
the  street  of  heaven.  The  Lad  still  used  an  earthly 
instrument  and  touched  its  strings  with  mortal  fingers ; 
but  never,  while  they  live,  will  those  who  heard  that 
hymn  believe  that  anything  less  than  the  spirit  of  the 
boy,  —  as  it  shall  be  in  mood  when,  in  the  spirit  world, 
he  first  beholds  his  angel  mother,  —  drew  from  the 
instrument  the  notes  that  filled  that  room  wdth  their 
divine  sweetness.  Indeed,  the  Lad  did  not  act  as  if 
he  were  conscious  of  his  body,  or  of  bodily  presence 
around  him.  His  face  was  lifted,  and  his  eyes,  from 
which  the  tears  were  streaming,  were  gazing  upward, 
not  as  if  into  vacancy,  but  as  if  they  saw  the  bright 
being  that  had  passed  within  the  veil,  but  which  now, 
for  a  moment,  stood  in  all  the  beauty  of  her  transfig- 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  329 

f 

uration  before  them.  For  a  smile  was  on  the  boy's 
Hps,  even  while  the  tears  were  rollin<^  down  his  cheeks ; 
and  when,  at  last,  the  arm  suspended  its  motion ; 
when  the  sweet  notes  ceased  to  sound,  and  the  last 
chord  had  died  away,  the  Lad  still  kept  his  uplifted 
posture  and  his  features  held  the  same  rapt  expression. 
The  company  sat  motionless,  their  gaze  fastened 
on  the  Lad.  Not  an  eve  was  without  its  tear.  The 
cheeks  of  the  Old  Trapper  were  w^et ;  and  Herbert, 
touched  by  some  memory,  or  overcome  by  the  pathos 
of  the  music,  was  actually  sobbing.  The  old  man, 
with  a  tread  as  light  as  a  moccasined  foot  could  make, 
stepped  softly  to  the  side  of  the  Lad,  and  taking  him 
by  the  arm,  while  the  company  rose  as  one  man,  he 
motioned  to  Henry  with  his  hand,  and  then,  without  a 
Avord,  the  Trapper,  and  Herbert,  and  "  The  Man  Who 
Didn't  Know  Much"  passed  out  of  the  room,  and 
takincr  boat,  shoved  off  and  o^lided  from  sia;ht  in  the 
blue  darkness  of  the  overhanging  night,  amid  whose 
eastern  gloom  the  great,  luminous,  mellow-hearted 
stars  of  the  morning  were  already  aflame. 


CHAPTER   XIIL 

THE    PARTING. 

"  Once  more,  ye  woods,  adieu."  —  Virgil. 

An  island  :  small  in  size,  lifted  but  a  few  feet  above 
the  water,  and  wooded  heavily  with  pines.  A  camp- 
fire  near  the  centre,  whose  flames  were  fed  by  logs  of 
beech  and  birch  intermixed  with  resinous  woods. 
Underneath  the  logs,  a  great  bed  of  coals  and  brands 
vividly  on  fire  and  hot  as  the  mouth  of  a  furnace. 
Above,  flames  sent  illuminations  evervwhere  :  brinofinof 
the  trunks  of  the  great  trees  out  in  bold  relief  and 
brightening  the  gloomy  foliage  so  that  the  withered 
cones  stood  forth  to  view.  A  current  of  cool  air  ;  the 
breath  of  an  ice-king  which  had  been  blown  a  thou- 
sand leagues,  nor  lost  its  chill.  Between  it  and  the 
fire  was  mutual  hate ;  for  when  it  blew  a  stronger  puff 
the  flame  in  hot  resentment  flared  hoarsely  up  and 
roared  wrathfully.  Amid  the  rocks  that  lined  the 
shores  the  waves  washed  noisily.  Above  the  pines  a 
great  gloomy  dome,  whose  vault  was  traversed  by  a 
broad  belt  of  snowy  appearance,  and  studded  with 
millions  of  dazzlino^  stars.  In  front  of  the  coals  two 
giant  dogs  lay  curled,  back  to  back,  basking  in  the 
heat.     Farther  away,  their  faces  lighted  by  the  fire, 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  331 

three  men  sat  or  reclined  in  easy  posture,  tlieir  backs 
supported  by  a  great  log.     This  was  the  scene. 

"  I'm  sorry,  Henry,  that  ye  must  leave  us  to- 
morrer,"  said  the  Trapper,  breaking  the  long  silence 
that  had  preceded  the  remark,  "  but  ye  say  ye  must 
go,  and  I  suppose  we  must  give  ye  up.  There  be 
many  in  the  settlements,  I  dare  say,  that  love  ye  and 
long  to  see  ye;  and  it's  but  right  for  ye  to  go.  But 
ye  won't  quite  forgit  us,  boy,  when  ye're  livin'  in  the 
ofreat  citv,  and  the  han'some  and  the  rich  be  round 
ye? 

''  I  shall  never  forget  you,  John  Norton,  nor  the 
lad  either,"  responded  the  young  man  ;  "  I  owe  my 
life  to  both  of  you,  and  while  I  live  I  shall  remember 
it.  My  life  was  saved  here  in  the  woods,  and  here 
would  I  live  were  I  not  bound  to  civilization  by  ties 
I  cannot  in  conscience  break.  But  I  mean  to  have 
you  both  visit  me  this  winter.  Do  you  know  it  is 
only  two  days'  travel  from  this  island  to  my  city 
home  ?  " 

"  It  isn't  distance,  Henry,"  said  the  Trapper,  after 
a  moment's  pause,  "  that  makes  a  visit  likely  or 
onlikely  atween  friends.  I  footed  it  from  the  shore  of 
the  Horicon  to  the  shore  of  Ontario  once,  jest  to  call 
on  a  comrade  I  heerd  was  campin'  on  the  Big  Water. 
No,  it  sartinly  isn't  distance,  Henry,  but  difference  in 
ways  of  livin',  that  keeps  friends  apart.  Lord  bless 
ye,  boy,  ef  miles  was  all  that  lay  atween  us,  me  and 
the  lad,  and  the  pups  there,  could  make  ye  a  visit 
eenamost  any  time  arter  the  snow  has  crusted ;  for  the 


332  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

trappin'  b3  onsartin  then,  and  the  snow-shoes  be 
famous  things  to  travel  on.  But  ye  see  ye  hve  one 
way  and  we  another  ;  and  though  ye  be  a  nateral 
woodsman,  and  take  to  our  way  of  livin'  as  easily  as 
a  young  otter  takes  to  the  crick,  yit  I  conceit  it  would 
be  different  with  me  in  the  settlements,  and  that  yer 
way  of  livin'  wouldn't  suit  an  old  man  w^hose  days 
have  been  passed  in  the  woods,  and  whose  ears  hate 
the  noise  of  the  clearin's." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  John  Norton,"  replied 
tha  young  man,  "  you  should  live  as  you  wished  to 
with  me,  and  I  would  do  everything  I  could  to  make 
your  stay  pleasant." 

"Ay,  ay,  Henry,"  responded  the  Trapper;  "I 
understand  the  goodness  of  yer  heart  and  the  open- 
ness of  yer  hand ;  and  ef  any  thin'  could  make  me 
contented  with  the  ways  of  the  settlements  ye  sartinly 
could  do  it.  But  natur'  and  habits  be  stronger  than 
wishes  ;  and  my  natur'  and  habits  be  agin  it.  Why, 
Henry,  I  should  smother  in  the  city  ;  for  I've  heerd 
that  the  cabins  be  made  of  brick  and  stun,  and  stand 
so  nigh  together  that  they  act'ally  tech  ;  and  that  the 
smoke  of  the  fires  be  so  thick  that  ye  can't  tell  when 
the  sun  rises  or  sets ;  and  that  the  carries  from  p'int 
to  p'int  be  covered  with  folks ;  and  that  the  trails 
be  thicker  with  people  than  the  trunk  of  a  bee-tree 
with  bees  when  they  be  swarmin'.  Is  it  raally  so, 
boy?" 

"  Yes,    the  houses  do  stand  side  by  side,"  replied 
Herbert,  "  and    the    streets    are    full    of  people  from 


THE  MAN  WHO  DTDX'T  KNOW  MUCH.  333 

morning  till  late  at  night,  and  the  noise  and  jar  of 
cars  and  carts  are  continuous." 

"  That's  it,"  interrupted  the  Trapper,  "  that's  it. 
The  noises  would  eenamost  kill  me ;  for  beyend  the 
crack  of  a  rifle,  or  the  sound  of  an  axe  cuttin'  wood 
for  the  camp,  my  ears  hate  noises  ;  onless  it  be  sech 
as  natur'  makes.  For  when  the  ears  be  full  of  noise 
the  eyes  can't  obsarve,  nor  the  heart  meditate  on  the 
things  around.  It  isn't  what  folks  tells  us  that  makes 
us  knowin'  ;  but  it's  what  we  find  out  for  ourselves. 
It's  the  blaze  on  the  tree  that  the  hunter  sarches  for 
and  finds  with  his  own  eyes  that  he  never  forgits; 
and  I  have  never  seed  a  city  man  yit  that  knowed  any- 
thin'  of  his  own  self  ;  for  his  edication  was  Avhat  he 
had  been  larnt  by  others,  or  had  read  in  books.  And 
ye  know,  Henry,  that  the  raal  wisdom  of  natur'  has 
never  been  printed  in  books  yit." 

"  I  think  you  are  right  there,  John  Norton," 
returned  the  young  man,  "  the  best  wisdom  has  never 
been  printed ;  for  scholars,  as  a  class,  never  study  for 
the  new,  but  for  the  old ;  and  the  present  generation 
only  recites  the  same  lessons  that  the  fathers  had 
recited." 

"  Yis,  Henry,  that's  it ;  and  queer  enough  it  seems 
to  a  man  of  the  woods.  Lord  !  I  guided  a  man  a  year 
or  two  asTO  that  knowed  evervthin'  that  books  could 
tell  a  mortal.  He  was  as  full  of  figgers  and  facts  as 
a  hedgehog  be  of  quills.  And  ef  ye  poked  him  up  a 
leetle  with  a  question  or  two  he'd  shed  'em  faster  than 
ye   could  pick   'em  up.     But  when  ye  got  him  right 


334  ADIROXDACK  TALES. 

down  to  it  he  didn't  know  notliin',  Henry.  He 
couldn't  tell  the  p'ints  of  the  compass  on  a  cloudy 
day  ;  nor  keep  the  trail  on  a  carry ;  nor  tell  a  doe's 
track  from  a  buck's.  He  didn't  even  know  how  to 
dress  out  his  venison  nor  cook  a  pancake.  And  1  do 
believe  the  cretur'  would  have  starved  to  death  when 
the  Lord  had  made  plenty  around  him.  And  it  made 
me  thankful  for  my  gifts  and  my  larnin'  as  I  obsarved 
his  iofnorance." 

"  And  yet,"  replied  Herbert,  "  he  was  very  hkely  a 
wise  man  in  his  way." 

"  Sartinly,  sartinly,"  admitted  the  Trapper.  "  But 
the  way  wasn't  a  good  un,  Henry,  for  what's  the  use 
of  bein'  knowdn'  ef  ye  can't  make  it  sarve  ye.  The 
larnin'  that  don't  help  a  man  find  his  way  when  he  be 
fetchin'  his  trail  through  the  woods,  and  don't  tell 
him  where  to  find  the  spring  holes  or  the  spawnin' 
beds  or  the  places  on  the  mash  where  the  bucks  feed, 
or  how  to  cook  his  venison  arter  he  has  got  it  to  his 
camp,  isn't  wuth  much  to  a  mortal,  for  sartin.  For 
larnin'  is  gin  to  us,  as  I  conceit,  as  the  scent  be 
given  to  the  nose  of  the  hound,  for  the  parposes  of 
life  ;  and  larnin'  that  don't  tell  a  man  when  he  be  in 
danger  how  to  git  out  of  it,  or  when  he  be  hungry 
how  to  satisfy  the  cravin's  of  his  natur',  be  of  no  raal 
use  to  a  man,  as  I  jedge." 

"  The  Bible  says,"  interrupted  the  Lad,  "  '  Take  -  no 
-  thought  -  of  -  what  -  ye  -  shall  -  eat  -  or  -  what  -  ye  - 
shall  -  drink,  -  or  -  what  -  ye  -  shall  -  put  -  on,  -  for  - 
after  -  all  -  these  -  things  -  the  -  Gentiles  -  seek.'" 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  335 

"  Yis,  yis,"  said  the  Trapper,  ''  them  Gentiles  always 
seemed  to  me  to  have  the  right  idee  o£  it.  And  I 
never  could  understand  how  the  Lord  could  think  they 
was  off  the  trail,  ef  they  was  honestly  sarchin'  for 
vict'als  and  clothin'  to  kiver  their  nakedness.  No,  I 
never  could  see  quite  how  they  was  wrong  in  doin' 
jest  what  every  man  has  to  do  to  keep  hody  and  soul 
together.  What  did  he  mean,  Henry,  when  he  told 
them  not  to  think  about  their  vict'als  and  their  gar- 
ments? He  didn't  mean  to  have  them  go  naked,  did 
he,  or  trust  to  luck  in  the  matter  ?  " 

"  No,  by  no  means,"  responded  Herbert,  "  the 
phrase  '  take  no  heed '  means  not  to  be  anxious,  not 
to  icorry  about  it." 

"  AVell,  well,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  now  I  git  the 
direction  of  the  trail.  Lord-a-massy !  how  different 
the  Scriptur'  looks  from  one  p'int  then  it  does  from 
another.  It  sartinly  don't  do  any  good  to  worry  over 
a  thing.  Many  be  the  nights  when  I  used  to  be  out 
scoutin'  that  I've  gone  to  bed  in  the  leaves  hollow  as 
a  horn  without  a  karnal  in  it,  wonderin'  where  I'd 
find  breakfast  in  the  mornin' ;  but  worryin'  never 
brought  a  partridge  to  the  snare  yit,  or  a  trout  to  the 
hook.  And  there's  but  one  way  for  a  mortal  to  act 
when  he's  in  a  pinch,  and  that  be  to  do  the  best  he 
knows  how  and  trust  to  the  Lord  for  the  rest.  But 
the  doin'  must  be  put  under  the  trustin',  as  the  powder 
be  under  the  bullit,  as  I  conceit." 

It  was  with  such  converse  that  our  friends  beguiled 
the  evening,  as  the  hours  sped  along.     Now  and  then 


336  ADIRONDACK   TALES. 

the  Old  Trapper  was  prevailed  upon  to  tell  the  story 
of  his  life,  or  narrate  passages  of  it  as  it  had  occurred 
on  the  trail  and  in  battle,  or  in  times  of  peace  when 
he  lived  quietly  amid  the  solitudes  of  nature.  These 
narrations  of  experience  were  told  with  a  vividness  of 
imagery  and  energy  of  utterance  that  made  the  scenes 
he  described  stand  out  in  startling  clearness  to  the 
minds  of  the  listeners ;  for  he  told  them  with  the 
voice  and  action  of  one  who  was  not  only  speaking  of 
deeds,  in  whose  performance  he  had  been  the  promi- 
nent actor,  but  also  with  the  unconscious  grace  and 
power  of  a  man  whose  blood  kindles  with  heat  at  the 
reminiscence  ;  and  who,  without  knowing  it,  lent  to 
the  narration  the  charm  of  a  superb,  because  a  natural, 
elocution.  To-night  Herbert  had  purposely  drawn 
him  out  in  this  direction,  for  he  and  his  companion 
liked  nothing  better  than  such  an  entertainment  as  the 
stories  of  the  Old  Trapper  afforded.  In  this  way  the 
hours  had  come  and  sfone  until  the  eveninof  was  far 
advanced,  and  the  njon  of  night  was  actually  nigh. 
But  neither  of  the  three  had  noted  the  passage  of 
time,  nor  would  they  even  then  had  not  the  Old  Trap- 
per's eye  caught  the  gleam  of  a  star  above  the  moun- 
tain, which  revealed  to  him  the  fact  that  he  had  been 
talkinor"  for  hours. 

"  Lord-a-massy,  Henry  !  "  ejaculated  the  old  man  as 
he  cauoht  the  oleam  of  the  distant  orb.  "  It's  arter 
ten  o'clock,  and  ye've  kept  me  talkin'  like  a  dozen 
Frenchers  when  lost  in  the  foo^.  But  it's  the  last 
night  ye'll  be  with  us,  Henry,  and  may  haps  it's  well 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  337 

as  it  be.  Come,  lad,  git  yer  fiddle  out.  Don't  let  it 
be  said  that  the  boy  went  to  the  settlements  without 
takin'  yer  music  in  his  ears.  Ye  needn't  play  any- 
thin'  lively  to-night,  for  we  sartinly  don't  feel  like 
dancin',  but  somethin'  pleasant  and  cheerful  like,  and 
a  leetle  easy  in  its  motions,  as  a  friend  would  say 
'  good-by  '  to  friend  when  standin'  at  the  p'int  where 
their  trails  parted." 

The  Lad  did  as  he  was  requested ;  and  involun- 
tarily gave  an  exhibition  of  his  command  of  the 
instrument  which  astonished  Herbert,  familiar  as  he 
was  with  the  playing  of  the  masters  of  his  time. 
The  moment  the  Lad's  fingers  touched  the  strings, 
and  the  bo^s^  began  to  move  over  them,  the  violin 
seemed  no  longer  a  foreign  substance  but  a  portion 
of  himself.  And  of  that  self,  too,  within  his  body 
which  stood  not  for  his  personality  alone,  but  for  that 
greater  One  who,  while  limiting  him  in  the  average 
himian  faculties,  had  endowed  him,  with  compensating 
liberality,  with  a  faculty  of  reception  and  impartment 
which  could  not  be  called  less  than  divine.  There 
was  no  mood  of  nature  that  the  poor  boy  with  his 
violin  in  his  hand  could  not  reflect.  It  lauo^hed  —  it 
wept  —  it  rollicked  —  it  joked  —  it  sobbed.  The  flut- 
tering leaf  —  the  sighing  wind  —  the  roaring  hurri- 
cane —  the  laughing  splash  of  happy  waters  —  the 
loon's  weird  cry  —  the  robin's  flute  —  all  the  sounds 
his  ear  could  catch,  his  fingers  could  draw  forth. 

It  was  certainly  a  scene  which  Herbert  would  not 
be  likely  to  forget.     The  great  fire  flared  and  flamed 


338  ADIitONDACK  TALES. 

upward.  The  cool,  pine-scented  air  blew  across  the 
lake,  and  the  waves  fell  with  measured  splash  on  the 
beach.  The  great  pines  overhead,  sw^ayed  by  the 
wind,  sent  out  their  softened  monotones.  The  Lad 
sat  with  his  back  to  the  fire,  gazing  out  into  the  star- 
lighted  darkness.  The  Trapper  and  Herbert  reclined 
in  easy  posture,  gazing  steadily  at  the  upAvard-going 
flame ;  and  all  the  while  the  violin  sent  out  its  tuneful 
strain.  Not  light  and  airy,  nor  grave  and  sad ;  but 
pure,  cheerful,  and  sweet,  as  is  the  mood  of  friend 
parting  with  friend  when  love  has  made  the  parting 
tender,  but  hope  forbids  it  to  be  sad. 

At  last  the  music  ceased,  and  the  Lad  turned  his 
simple  face  toward  the  fire  with  a  light  on  it  finer 
than  the  reflection  that  an  earthly  flame  could  give 
to  human  countenance. 

"  Yis,  lad,  ye've  said  it  well,"  said  the  Trapper, 
"ye've  sartinly  said  it  well ;  and  Herbert  and  me  have 
understood  it  as  ye  have  gone  on.  Ye  sartinly  ain't 
over-knowin'  with  yer  tongue,  but  yer  sperit  be  right ; 
and  the  Lord  has  gin  ye  a  gift  that  the  great  ones  of 
the  'arth  might  envy.  I  sartinly  wish  ye  could  play 
to  the  folks  in  the  settlements ;  it  would  set  'em 
wonderin'." 

"  I  don't  think  I  could  play  in  the  cities,"  said  the 
Lad.  "  I  never  could  play  to  any  one  but  mother  in 
the  house,  and  I  never  played  but  a  few  times  to  her 
there ;  for  when  she  was  tired  and  wanted  comforting 
she  used  to  go  down  with  me  to  the  shore  and  have 
me  play  for  her  there.     And  she  used  to  kiss  me  when 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  339 

I  finished  playing,  and  say  I  was  the  best  boy  she  had, 
and  a  great  comfort  to  her,  even  if  I  didn't  learn  so 
fast  as  the  other  children  did." 

"  I  understand  it,  lad,"  said  the  Trapper,  ''  yis,  I 
understand  it,  and  yer  mother  was  right ;  and  ye  com- 
forted her  in  the  days  of  her  trouble  beyend  what  ye 
know,  and  ye'll  sartinly  find  her  agin,  and  I  dare  say 
waitin'  for  ye,  when  ye  come  to  the  Great  Clearin'. 
Come,  let's  go  to  bed,"  continued  the  old  man.  "  The 
night  be  passin',  and  the  mornin'  be  draAvin'  on,  and 
w^e  three  shall  start  on  a  long  trail  to-morrer,  and  it's 
best  we  strike  it  well  rested." 

It  was  morning ;  and  the  Old  Trapper  was  up  with 
the  earliest  dawn,  busy  in  preparing  the  morning 
meal.  It  was  evident  by  the  amount  and  variety  of 
the  dishes  that  he  was  anxious  that  it  should  be  more 
than  ordinary  ;  for  it  required  every  plate  and  dish  in 
the  camp  to  hold  the  result  of  his  labors.  He  worked 
at  his  self-imposed  task  as  one  whose  mind  is  pre- 
occupied, and  who  would  fain  seek  in  activity  relief 
from  what  would  otherwise  oppress  him.  An  observer 
would  have  noticed  that  as  he  came  and  went  in  his 
motions  around  the  fire  his  eyes  frequently  turned 
toward  the  spot  where  Herbert  was  sleeping,  and  at 
every  look  the  shadow  on  his  face  grew  deeper.  It 
Avould  have  been  evident  to  such  a  spectator  that  the 
old  man  had  become  strono^lv  attached  to  his  vounof 
companion,  and  could  with  difficulty  bring  himself  to 
think  with  equanimity  of  the  coming  separation. 

At  last  his  preparations  were  all  made.     The  meal 


340  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

was  ready.  Then  lifting  the  corner  of  the  blanket 
beneath  which  the  Lad  and  Herbert  lay  stretched,  he 
said :  — 

"Come,  Henry;  come,  lad  ;  breakfast  be  ready,  and 
the  sun  will  soon  be  on  the  mount'ins.  The  venison 
will  be  done  to  a  turn,  and  the  trout  be  ready  for  the 
teeth.  It  be  the  last  meal  we  shall  eat  toj^ether  for 
many  a  day,  and  it  isn't  cheerful-like  for  friends  to  be 
hurried  in  their  eatin'  when  the  hour  of  partin'  be 
nigh.  So  dip  yer  heads  in  the  lake  a  minit,  and  we'll 
have  a  meal  that'll  be  pleasant  to  remember  when  the 
miles  be  at  ween  us." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  young  men  were  ready  for  the 
repast,  and  the  three  seated  themselves  at  a  table 
loaded  with  food,  of  a  quality,  and  cooked  with  a  skill, 
that  the  cities  could  not  provide,  and  were  soon  eating 
with  appetites  which  no  ordinary  circumstance  could 
affect ;  nor  was  the  humor  which  w^as  wont  to  enliven 
their  companionship  lacking. 

"  It  strikes  me,  Henry,"  said  the  Trapper,  as  he 
shoved  a  plate  loaded  heavily  with  broiled  venison, 
from  which  the  red  juices  were  actually  dripping, 
toward  him,  with  a  motion  whose  invitation  Herbert 
was  not  slow  to  accept ;  "  it  strikes  me,  Henry,  that 
yer  ap^^etite  be  gittin'  dangerous ;  and  it  may  be  that 
yer  goin'  home  be  providential,  as  the  niissioners  say. 
There  sartinly  has  been  a  good  deal  of  cookin'  on  this 
trip ;  and  considerin'  that  we  be  but  three,  it's  puzzlin' 
to  think  where  the  meat  has  all  gone  to.  Ease  out 
another    hole    in    yer    belt,  lad,"   said    the    old    man, 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  341 

laughing,  "  and  clean  the  plate.  Ef  ye'd  had  this 
feedin'  when  ye  was  a  boy  ye'd  been  bigger  waisted 
than  ye  be ;  for  it's  a  thin  sile  where  the  trees  grow 
spindlin'.  Ye'll  thicken  up  afore  Henry  sees  ye  agin, 
or  John  Norton  don't  know  the  habits  of  natur'." 

The  two  young  men  laughed  heartily,  and  renewed 
their  attack  on  the  edibles  in  a  manner  which  threat- 
ened to  speedily  clear  the  table. 

''  Now,  Henry,"  said  the  old  man,  as  he  arose,  and 
taking  a  frying-pan  from  near  the  fire,  where  he  had 
carefully  placed  it  at  the  beginning  of  the  meal,  '^  ef 
the  lad  will  bring  the  honey  that  he  found  on  the 
carry  the  other  day,-  I'll  give  ye  some  pancakes  that'll 
make  ye  hate  the  cookin'  of  the  settlements  when  ye 
be  away  from  us.  Lord  !  I  thought  I  should  die 
laughin'  when  I  seed  the  lad  peelin'  it  through  the 
scrub  oak  with  the  bees  peltin'  him  in  his  back  arter 
the  plug  come  out  of  the  hole,  and  the  leetle  chaps 
had  diskivered  who  was  pillaging  their  winter's  store. 
His  legs  couldn't  have  played  livelier  ef  they'd  been 
keepin'  tune  to  one  of  his  jigs.  Ef  there's  anythin' 
that'll  make  a  man  nimble,  it's  when  he's  emptied  a 
hive  round  his  ears  and  the  water  be  forty  rod  away. 
Did  ye  feel  any  oneasiness,  lad,  as  ye  struck  for  the 
lake?  Ye  sartinly  wasn't  mindful  where  ye  stepped, 
for  ye  made  a  trail  as  wide  as  a  harrer  !  "  and  the  old 
man  actually  had  to  pause  a  moment  to  wipe  the  tears 
from  his  eyes ;  while  his  two  young  companions  roared 
and  screamed  in  the  merriment  of  the  recollection. 

"  Look  here,  Henry  !  "  exclaimed  the  Trapper,  in  a 


342  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

moment,  "  did  ye  ever  see  a  nicer  brown  than  that  ?  " 
and  with  a  skilful  upward  turn  of  his  wrist  he  sent  the 
five  pancakes  into  the  air  in  such  a  way  as  caused 
them  to  turn  a  complete  somersault,  and  skilfully 
caught  them  in  the  j^an  as  they  desceiided.  '^  Did  ye 
ever  see  a  better  brown  than  that,  Henry  ?  Ye'll  find 
it  eenamost  the  color  of  the  honey  itself  when  it  drips 
from  the  comb  onto  it.  A  strip  of  pork,  good  flour, 
a  leetle  Indian  meal,  the  right  kind  of  a  pan,  and  a 
heap  of  beech  coiils  like  these  be  sartinly  what  makes 
the  cakes  look  right.  And  then,  ef  the  butter  be 
sweet,  and  the  honey  pure,  and  the  appetite  keen,  I 
can't  conceit  of  any  better  eatin'  in  the  world.  Now, 
ye  eat  and  I'll  cook  ;  for  a  cake  ain't  wuth  a  cent  wlien 
it's  cold.  It  gits  soggy,  and  lays  on  the  stomach  like 
a  lie  on  the  conscience.  And  though  I  know  ye  be 
lively  with  yer  teeth,  yit  ef  the  coals  hold  hot  I  sar- 
tinly think  I  can  keep  up  with  ye.'* 

It  might  have  been  ten  minutes  that  the  cooking 
and  the  eating  continued  ;  and,  to  borrow  a  commercial 
phrase,  "  the  supply  was  just  equal  to  the  demand." 
A  happier  face  than  the  Old  Trapper's,  as  he  stood, 
pan  in  hand,  with  the  heat  of  the  coals  brightening 
his  countenance,  was  never  seen.  Benevolence  and 
humor  united  themselves  in  its  expression.  A  wise, 
strong  face  it  was,  without  a  coarse  line  in  it ;  without 
a  trace  of  weakness  ;  and  on  whose  front,  infirmity  as 
yet  had  worn  no  prophetic  mark.  The  face  of  a  man 
who  had  done  no  evil,  had  yielded  to  no  vice,  but 
lived  in  the  innocence  of  a  nature  to  which  the  exer- 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  343 

cise  of  virtue  supplied  all  the  stimulation  that  it 
craved.  The  face  of  a  man  thus  gifted  in  hirth,  and 
thus  educated  by  life,  in  happy  mood  :  the  mood  of 
one  who  feels  that  he  is  ministering  to  the  happiness 
of  those  whom  he  loves. 

"  Come,"  said  Herbert,  as  he  rose  from  the  table 
and  approached  the  fire,  "  give  me  the  pan,  John  Nor- 
ton, and  as  you  have  cooked  for  me  so  I  will  cook  for 
you,  and  I  think  I'll  give  them  a  brown  as  rich  and 
warm  as  you  have  been  doing." 

"  I  don't  doubt  it,  Henry,  I  don't  doubt  it ;  for 
sartinly  ye  have  the  gift  of  cookin'.  Ye  haven't  for- 
gotten the  tune  I  met  ye,  boy,  on  the  lonely  lake,  have 
ye,  nor  the  steak  and  the  cakes  ye  cooked  for  me,  and 
the  tea  that  ye  steeped  ?  Lord-a-massy  !  wdiat  tea  that 
was.  Do  ye  think  ye  could  git  any  more  of  the  yarb 
like  that  in  the  settlement  ?  " 

"  I'll  send  you  a  chest,  John  Norton  ;  and  I'll  start 
it  the  first  day  I  get  back." 

"  A  chest !  Lord,  boy,  what  be  ye  talkin'  about  ? 
\Yhat  does  an  old  man  like  me  want  of  a  chest  of  tea? 
Ye  don't  think  I'll  turn  into  a  Dutchwoman,  do  ye  ? 
—  that  does  nothing  but  drink  from  mornin'  till 
night  ?  No,  no  ;  ef  ye  would  send  me  a  pound,  say, 
and  do  it  up  in  strong  wrappin's,  and  put  my  name 
on  it,  I  w^arrant  it'd  come  through  all  right.  And  it 
would  be  a  great  comfort  to  me  to  steep  a  leetle  of  it 
arter  I'd  got  in  from  the  line  of  my  traps,  wet  and 
hungry,  some  nights.  Yis,  it  would  sartinly  be  cheer- 
ful to  steep  a  leetle  of  yer  gift,  Henry  ;  for  it  would 


344  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

sorter  bring  ye  back  into  the  cabin,  and  the  sound  of 
yer  voice  and  the  sight  of  yer  face  would  brighten  up 
the  jilacCj  —  'specially  ef  the  night  was  stormy  and 
the  lad  should  chance  to  be  away." 

"  Well,  never  mind  about  the  amount,"  said  Her- 
bert. "  You  shall  have  the  tea ;  and  enough  so  you 
needn't  be  sparing  of  it." 

While  they  had  been  talking,  Herbert  had  dipped 
the  batter  into  his  pan,  and  the  first  dish  of  cakes  was 
now  ready  for  the  plate.  He  approached  the  old  man 
as  he  sat  at  the  table,  and  taking  a  couple  up  with  his 
flat  turner,  he  placed  them  before  him.  They  were 
amber-colored  about  the  edges,  and  rich  chestnut 
brown  at  the  centre,  and  so  light  that  the  upper 
scarce  seemed  to  touch  the  lower  one  as  it  lay  on  it. 
The  old  man  looked  at  them  critically  a  moment,  and 
then  he  took  a  spoonful  of  the  honey  and  let  the  con- 
tents drip  in  great  golden  globules  on  to  the  cake 
beneath ;  then  taking  his  knife  he  si)read  the  trans- 
parent licpiid  smoothly  over  the  cakes.  All  this  was 
done  with  the  delicacy  of  touch  of  a  true  artist  in 
eating  ;  of  one  who  feeds  heartily,  but  not  grossly, 
and  eats  wdth  his  eyes  as  well  as  his  mouth. 

"  Henry,"  said  the  old  man,  "  them  cakes  be  jedi- 
ciously  cooked.  I  act'ally  think  that  ye've  beaten  mine 
in  the  color,  —  'specially  in  the  color  round  the  edges ; 
but  ye'll  allow  that  my  cookin'  warmed  the  pan  up, 
and  ye  can't  color  a  cake  jest  right  onless  the  pan  be 
properly  heated.  And  now  that  the  iron  be  jest  right, 
I  hope  ye'll  keep  it  agoin'  for  a  few  minits  till  I  have 
eaten  my  fill." 


THE  MAX  WHO  DWX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  345 

The  sail  had  scarcely  risen  when  the  three  were 
ready  to  leave  the  island.  The  Lad  was  already  in 
Ills  seat,  holding  his  oars  for  the  start ;  and  the  Old 
Tr.i})per  was  steadying-  the  stern  on  the  beach.  The 
two  hounds  were  standing  on  the  sands,  and  Herbert 
h  id  paused  on  his  way  to  the  boat  to  caress  them  a 
niDinent.  Both  of  them  w^ere  lifted  erect  on  their 
hind  legs,  with  their  paws  on  the  young  man's  shoul- 
der, while  with  either  hand  he  was  stroking  their 
luads. 

"  That's  right,  Henry,"  said  the  Trapper.  "  The 
pups  know  ye  be  goin',  and  in  their  way  they  be 
wishin'  ye  good-by.  They've*  been  oneasy  all  the 
morniii',  for  they  knowed  that  something  onusual  w\as 
goin'  on.  It'll  be  many  a  year  afore  they  see  ye  agin, 
mayhaps,  but  they'll  not  forgit  ye ;  and  when  ye  come 
back,  ef  they  be  livin'  ye'll  be  sure  of  a  welcome 
that'll  make  yer  face  shine.  Ah  me  !  It  seems  a  long 
time  sence  we  three  met  at  the  pond  of  the  beavers ; 
and  it'll  make  many  a  long  evenin'  shorter  to  think  of 
the  frolics  that  we  have  had  tosrether." 

While  the  Trapper  had  been  speaking  Herbert  had 
parted  from  the  dogs,  and  stepped  into  the  boat.  The 
old  man  lifted  it  from  the  sand,  and  w^ith  a  strong 
shove  pushed  it  suddenly  out  into  the  lake,  springing 
with  the  agility  of  youth  into  his  seat  as  he  did  it. 
The  Lad  swept  his  oars  into  the  w^ater,  and  the  Trap- 
per joined  the  stroke  wdtli  the  motion  of  his  paddle. 
The  two  hounds  sat  down  side  by  side  on  the  sand, 
and;  with  the  gravity  of  their  species,  gazed  silently 


346  ADIBOXDACK    TALES. 

at  the  receding  forms.  Nor  had  they  moved  from 
their  position  when  the  boat  glided  round  the  north- 
ern point  of  the  island,  and  the  intervening  rocks  shut 
them  from  view. 

"  I'm  glad  the  pups  didn't  give  mouth  at  yer  goin', 
Henry,"  said  the  Trapper  ;  "  for  though  I  know  a  dog 
can't  shorten  the  days  of  a  man,  yit  the  Maker  has  gin 
a  curious  sense  to  some  of  his  creturs ;  and  I  never 
yit  knowed  a  dog  to  how]  at  the  goin'  of  his  master, 
and  something  not  happen  afore  he  returned.  Yis,  I 
sartinly  take  it  as  a  cheerful  sign  that  we  three  shall 
come  together  in  health  and  happiness  agin  in  the  day 
that  the  Lord  app'ints." 

It  took  but  a  few  minutes  for  the  boat  to  cover  the 
distance  it  had  to  go  ;  for  the  air  was  sharp  and  keen ; 
the  water  level  as  a  floor,  and  the  Lad  pulled  a  stroke 
which,  assisted  as  it  was  by  the  paddle  of  the  Trapjier, 
shot  the  sharp  vessel  along  at  an  astonishing  pace. 

At  the  hotel  no  one  was  stirring,  save  here  and 
there  a  guide  was  washing  out  his  boat  preparatory 
for  an  early  start. 

A  moment  after  the  boat  touched  the  landinof  Her- 
bert's^ack  had  been  transferred  to  the  shore,  and  the 
three  men  were  standinoj*  side  by  side.  Thino-s  had 
occurred  since  they  met  which  made  the  parting  un- 
usually tender.  Herbert  was  thinking  of  the  death  he 
had  narrowly  escaped,  and  that  it  was  solely  owing  to 
the  skill  and  affection  of  the  two  men  from  whom  he 
was  now  to  part  that  he  was  still  alive. 

"  I  shan't  forgit  the  spot  nor  the  hour,  Henry ; " 


THE  JtlAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  347 

said  the  Trapper,  referring  to  some  previous  conversa- 
tion, "  and  ef  the  lad  and  me  be  Hvin'  ye'll  find  us  at 
the  time  app'inted  on  the  big-  ledge  at  the  mouth  o£ 
Cold  River  when  the  'arly  shadders  be  darkenin'  the 
stream.  And  ye  needn't  worry  ef  ye  be  late  by  a  day 
or  two,  for  the  boy  and  me  will  camp  there  till  ye 
come,  even  ef  ye  be  a  week  behind  yer  time." 

"  If  I  don't  come  by  the  second  day,"  returned  Her- 
bert, "  you  may  know  that  something  has  happened  to 
keep  me  from  coming  in,  and  you  needn't  wait  longer; 
but  if  I  am  alive  and  well  you'll  see  my  boat  heading 
for  that  rock  when  the  sun  is  an  hour  above  its  set- 
ting on  the  date  I  gave  you,  next  summer,  or  the  first 
summer  I  can  come  in." 

"  I  have  ben  thinkin'  about  the  horn,  Henry,"  said 
the  old  man,  as  he  took  a  bundle  from  under  his 
jacket  and  handed  it  to  Herbert ;  "  yis,  I've  ben 
thinkin'  about  the  horn,  boy,  and  it'll  sartinly  make 
my  heart  lighter  ef  ye'll  take  it  home  with  ye,  and 
hang  it  to  the  hammers  of  yer  rifle  where  yer  eyes 
can  often  see  it.  For  I  be  older  than  ye,  and  though 
I  conceit  the  Lord  will  spare  me  many  a  year,  yit  a 
man  whose  head  be  whitenin'  can't  look  with  sech 
sartinty  ahead,  as  the  young  ;  and  ef  anythin'  should 
happen  it  would  be  better  that  the  horn  was  with  ye. 
I  don't  give  it  to  ye,  because  it's  yourn  as  much  as 
mine,  and  accordin'  to  the  laws  of  the  shootin'  it's 
yourn  altogether  ;  but  it's  the  only  thing  I  have  to 
give,  onless  it  be  the  rifle,  and  ef  ye'll  take  the  horn 
and  anythin'  happens,  the  lad  will  see  that  the  gun 


348  ADinOXDACK    TALES. 

gits  to  ye  also,  for  ye  be  the  only  man  I  ever  seed 
whose  eye  and  linger  could  bring  out  the  vartues  of 
the  piece.  The  two  would  help  ye  to  remember  an 
old  man  that  shot  for  yer  life  once,  when  the  chances 
was  agin  him,  and  that  loved  ye  as  ef  ye  was  his  own 
boy.  We  shall  camp  on  the  head-waters  of  the  Rac- 
quette  this  winter,  and  ef  ye  felt  like  writin'  the  lad 
and  me  a  letter  some  time,  it  may  be  some  trapper 
might  fetch  it  through ;  but  it's  by  no  means  sartin, 
and  ye  needn't  trouble  yerself  overmuch  about  it. 
Now,  boy,  as  the  folks  will  soon  be  stirrin'  it  may  be 
jest  as  well  that  the  lad  and  me  be  off  ;  for  the  sun 
be  fairly  up,  and  afore  it  sets  we  must  be  sixty  mile  to 
the  south.  Come,  lad,  take  the  hand  of  the  man  ye 
saved  by  yer  divin',  and  then  we'll  go.  The  Lord 
brought  us  together  at  the  pond  of  the  beavers,  and 
the  Lord  will  brino-  us  toi^ether  asfin  on  the  ledofe  at 
Cold  River  ef  His  will  shall  app'int." 

The  Lad  took  the  hand  of  Herbert,  looked  for  a 
moment  into  the  face  of  the  man  he  had  saved  from 
death,  and  then  without  a  word,  but  with  a  face 
slightly  paler  than  was  its  wont,  stepped  into  the  boat 
and  seated  himself  at  the  oars.  The  Trapper  took 
the  hand  the  Lad  had  dropped,  and  for  a  moment  the 
two  men  gazed  into  each  other's  faces.  Once  the  old 
man  essayed  to  speak  ;  but  as  if  he  had  checked  the 
rising  thought  wdiile  his  tongue  was  striving  to  form 
it  into  sound,  or  from  some  other  cause,  the  sentence 
remained  unspoken.  For  his  hand  released  its  hold 
on  Herbert's,  and  without  uttering  a  word,  he  turned, 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  349 

and  lifting  his  paddle,  he  shoved  the  boat  from  the 
landing  and  leapt  lightly  to  his  seat.  The  boat 
moved  round  the  angle  of  the  wharf  and  headed  down 
the  lake.  Herbert  stepped  to  the  piazza  of  the  hotel, 
and,  leaning  against  a  pillar,  watched  it*  steadfastly 
as  it  receded  from  view.  In  a  few  moments  it  had 
reached  the  first  of  the  islands,  and  as  it  swung  round 
Herbert  fancied  that  he  saw  the  Trapper  turn  his  face ; 
but  in  this  he  might  have  been  mistaken.  The  next 
instant  it  shot  beyond  the  huge  bowlder  that  made  the 
point  of  the  island,  and  vanished  from  sight. 

For  a  moment  the  young  man  stood  with  his  eyes 
fixed  upon  the  spot  where  the  boat  had  last  been  seen ; 
and  then  he  turned,  and  lifting  his  pack  passed  into 
the  house.  Many  things  w^ere  to  transpire  of  which 
they  little  dreamed  ;  and  years,  bringing  their  changes, 
were  to  come  and  go,  before  the  three  met  again. 


THE  STORY  OF 

THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH. 

Part  III 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

SOME    OLD    FOLKS. 

•'  Far  from  gay  cities  and  the  Avays  of  men."  —  The  Odyssey. 

It  was  July ;  and  a  hot  summer's  day  was  drawing 
to  a  close.  A  torrid  wave,  born  of  the  intense  heat 
of  the  tropics,  had  moved  northward,  and  the  nor- 
thern mountains  had  not  cooled  it  a  degree.  The 
heated  wave  had  rolled  across  the  lake,  and  up  the 
valleys,  and  over  the  crests  of  the  great  hills,  until 
the  very  atmosphere,  ordinarily  deliciously  cool,  seemed 
blistered,  as  if  it  were  being  burned  through  and 
through  by  invisible  fire.  The  tall  pines,  tasselled 
with  their  needle-like  stems,  fairly  glistened  in  the  hot 
scintillating  light.  The  winds  kept  their  caves,  as  if 
afraid  to  move  beyond  their  dripping  mouths.  The 
water  stood  with  a  dull  gleam  on  it,  like  molten  metal. 
The  reeds  on  the  marshes  drooped  and  hung  their 
heads,  as  with  fatigue.  Even  the  cool,  dark  balsams 
for  once  looked  hot ;  and  under  the  intense  heat  huno- 
damp  with  gummy  sweat.  The  wild  roses  shrivelled 
and  disappeared.  The  white  lilies  contracted,  and  hid 
their  beauty  and  perfume  Avithin  the  cool  protection 
of  their  green,  almond-shaped  lobes.  Above,  the  sky 
was  brazen.  In  it  the  sun  stood  red  and  blood-like ; 
its   orb    quivering    with    intense    fervors,   and    clearly 


354  ADIRONDACK    TALES. 

rimmed  as  if  it  had  lost  the  power  to  emit  its  dazzling 
rays.  The  wilderness  was  silent.  The  heat  had 
acted  like  a  drug  on  bird  and  beast  and  fish ;  and 
even  on  water  and  air.  Only  one  sound  survived : 
the  mouth  of  Cold  River,  where  it  poured  its  current 
over  the  shining  sand  and  the  smooth  pebbles  into  the 
Racquefte,  still  sang  its  rippling  song.  But  beside 
the  musical  gurgle  and  tuneful  lapse  of  the  easy-flow- 
ing current,  there  was  no  sound  in  the  air. 

On  the  great  ledge  which  thrusts  itself  sternly  out 
into  the  Racquette,  just  below  the  mouth  of  Cold 
River,  two  men  w^ere  standing.  It  needed  but  a 
glance  for  one  to  recognize  in  the  two  forms  the  Old 
Trapper  and  the  Lad.  The  Lad  was  leaning  on  his 
paddle ;  and  the  Old  Trapper  was  standing  erect,  with 
his  rifle  resting  in  the  hollow  of  his  arm,  gazing  stead- 
fastly down  the  stream. 

"  Three  year  have  come  and  gone  sence  he  told  us 
to  wait  for  him  here.  And  twice  afore  this  have  ye 
and  me  waited  on  this  rock  till  the  sun  darkened  the 
stream ;  but  the  boy  did  not  come.  And  here  we 
be  agin,  accordin'  to  promise.  And  the  hour  has 
sartinly  come  for  his  appearin',  for  he  said,  ^  Ef  I  be 
alive  and  well  ye'll  see  my  boat  headin'  for  that  rock 
when  the  sun  is  an  hour  above  its  settin',  on  the  date 
I  give  ye,  next  summer,  or  the  fust  summer  I  can 
come  in.'  Yis,  them  be  the  very  words,  lad,  he  said 
on  the  landin'  at  Lower  Saranac,  the  morn  when  we 
parted.  And  I  know  ef  he  be  livin'  he'll  keep  his 
promise  which  he  gave  to  an  old  man  who  shot  for  his 


THE  MAN  WHO  DID  N'T  KNOW  MUCH.  355 

life  when  the  chances  was  agin  him.  But  the  hour 
has  sartinly  come  and  the  boy  be  not  here.  I  fear, 
lad,  yis,  I  sartinly  fear  that  somethin'  be  wrong ;  and 
that  I  shall  never  hear  the  crack  of  his  piece  agin,  or 
see  his  face  by  the  light  of  the  camp-fire." 

"  It  may  be  that  he  has  forgotten  us,  John  Norton  ; 
for  the  folks  that  live  in  the  city,  I  have  heard,  have  a 
great  deal  to  do,  and  forget  things  easily." 

"  Lad,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  I've  lived  on  the  'arth 
eighty  year,  and  have  knowed  many  men ;  and  have 
seed  them  that  be  true  and  them  that  be  false  ;  and  I 
larnt  fifty  year  agone  to  know  the  difference  at  ween 
'em.  But  I  tell  ye  that  Henry  be  one  of  the  kind 
that  never  forgits.  Ye  can  see  it  in  his  eye,  and  ye 
can  hear  it  in  his  voice.  The  boy  be  true  as  the 
barrels  of  his  rifle,  and  that  be  say  in'  all  that  can  be 
said  in  praise  of  any  man  ;  for  the  barrels  be  act'ally 
parfect.  No,  no,  lad,  the  boy  hasn't  forgot,  and  he'll 
sartinly  come  this  year  or  some  other  year  ef  he's  in 
the  land  of  the  livin'." 

At  this  point  the  Lad,  who  was  standing  within 
reach,  slowly  stretched  out  his  moccasined  foot  and 
softly  touched  with  his  toe  the  ankle  of  the  Trapper. 

"  Ay,  ay,  lad,  I  know  what  ye  mean,"  said  the  old 
man,  without  lowering  his  voice,  "  for  I  see  what  ye 
see,  and  I  seed  her  afore  she  put  her  head  through 
the  branches  of  the  balsam.  But  she's  a  mother  doe 
and  her  faan  be  not  far  away,  and  she's  come  down  to 
drink  of  the  water  that  the  Lord  has  made  for  her 
comfort    as    He    has  made    it  for    ourn.     And  never 


356  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

yit  did  lead  of  mine  tech  the  life  of  a  cretur  when 
natur'  made  its  life  sacred.  She  may  drink  of  the 
water  to  her  fill,  and  go  back  to  her  faan  and  the  bed 
she  left  in  the  mosses.  I  know  we  be  without  meat, 
Jad,  and  we'll  go  without  meat  afore  we'll  eat  the 
body  of  a  doe  when  her  faan  still  claims  her." 

"  But  what  shall  wx  do  for  supper,  John  Norton," 
responded  the  Lad ;  "  there  is  flour  enough  and  pork 
enough,  but  we  have  no  meat,  and  I  am  pretty  hungry 
to-niofht." 

"  I  dare  say  ye  be  empty,  lad,  and  I  am  not  over 
full  myself  ;  and  it's  only  right  that  the  flour  and  pork 
be  used  sparin',  but  when  the  Lord  can't  feed  a  man 
one  way  he  feeds  him  another,  and  I  sartinly  think 
there  be  a  trout  or  two  lying  round  here  in  this  pool 
that  He  has  app'inted  for  the  safety  of  the  faan 
to-night.  Step  to  the  boat,  lad,  and  untie  the  rod, 
for  the  sun  be  almost  down,  and  the  smoke  on  the 
water  shows  that  it's  coolin',  and  we'll  make  a  cast  or 
two  that  mayhaps  will  fill  our  emptiness  arter  the  fire 
be  kindled." 

In  a  moment  the  rod  was  unlashed,  and  the  Lad 
stood  holding  it  in  his  hand,  ready  for  a  cast.  It  was 
plain  that  it  had  seen  service,  for  the  varnish  had  been 
worn  from  the  wood,  while  the  butt  and  hand-23iece 
had  the  peculiar,  dark  appearance  which  comes  to 
wood  only  after  long  handling.  The  reel  was  of  brass, 
but  throuo^h  carelessness  or  desioui  rust  had  been 
allowed  to  gather  on  its  once  polished  surface,  as  also 
on   the  brass  ferrules  at  the  joints.     The  line  was  of 


THE  MA}^  WHO  DIDY'T  KXOW  MUCH  357 

silk,  closely  woven,  while  the  nine-foot  leader,  to  which 
three  flies  were  attached,  looked  chafed  and  ragged, 
and  the  flies  themselves  scarcely  retained  half  their 
original  plumage.  The  whole  appearance  of  the  rod 
suggested  that  it  was  the  victor  in  many  a  tussle  with 
the  finny  foe. 

"  Will  you  take  the  rod,  John  Norton  ?  "  said  the 
Lad. 

"  No,  not  fust,"  returned  the  old  man  ;  "  ye  shall 
sartinly  have  the  fust  cast  yerself,  for  it's  wicked  for 
an  old  man  to  roh  a  young  man  of  a  chance  to  larn 
the  right  way  to  do  a  thing  that  he  needs  for  his 
stomach's  sake  to  know  how^  to  do  well.  No,  lad,  ye 
shall  have  the  fust  cast,  and  I'll  take  the  second." 

"  But  I  don't  know  how  to  cast  as  well  as  you  do, 
and  I'm  awful  hungry,  and  I  should  feel  dreadfully  if 
I  missed  a  good  one." 

''  Don't  ye  worry,  lad,  don't  ^^e  worry.  I  don't 
suppose  it's  now  as  it  used  to  be,  but  I've  stood  on 
this  rock  and  skittered  a  piece  of  pork  across  the 
stream,  and  seed  them  go  for  it  like  a  Frencher  for 
his  garlic.  Yis,  I've  stood  on  this  rock  and  seed  the 
water  bile  as  they  riz  from  the  bottom  and  shot  this 
way  and  that,  so  crazy  was  every  one  to  git  at  the  bait 
fust.  But  years  have  come  and  gone  sence  then,  and 
many  be  the  fish  that  have  been  taken  here,  for  this 
pool  has  its  fame,  and  no  city  man  passes  it  —  nor 
guide  neither,  for  that  matter  —  without  givin'  it  a  try. 
But  they  can't  catch  'em  all,  for  trouts  be  like  men, 
some  be  wise  and  some  foolish  j   and  the  foolish  die 


358  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

young  and  die  fast,  but  the  wise  shun  danger  and  live 
out  their  days.  And  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  e£  there 
was  a  four-pound  trout  somewhere  in  the  bottom  of 
this  pool  yit,  and  it  may  be  a  dozen  of  'em,  for  Cold 
River  be  a  famous  breedin'  ground,  and  Cold  River 
empties  all  its  big  fish  into  this  bend  ;  for  a  big  fish 
hates  shaller  water ;  and  I  shouldn't  marvel  ef  ye 
lifted  a  big  un  ef  ye  do  the  thing  jediciously.  So  try 
yer  skill,  and  remember  ye  be  fishing  for  a  supper." 

The  Lad  did  as  he  was  directed.  With  a  motion 
by  no  means  awkward  he  swept  the  point  of  the  rod 
upward.  The  leader  straightened  itself  in  the  air, 
and  the  flies  shot  forward  and  fell  with  gradual  inch- 
nation  upon  the  water.  They  had  not  trailed  a  foot 
before  a  trout  broke  the  surface  with  such  energy  that 
he  shot  his  body  full  three  feet  into  the  air  and  fell 
back  with  a  splash  into  the  tide.  The  size  of  the 
fish,  the  suddenness  with  which  he  had  appeared, 
the  energy  of  his  rush  and  the  noise  of  it,  had  taken 
the  Lad  so  by  surprise  that  he  fairly  jumped  from  the 
rock  and  an  exclamation  escaped  him.  So  startled 
was  he  that  he  actually  forgot  to  strike,  and  the  fish, 
havino^  held  the  feather  in  his  tfiouth  and  tasted  the 
deceit,  ejected  it  and  went  to  the  bottom  unharmed. 
The  Trapper  laughed  in  hearty  amusement  at  the 
Lad's  expense. 

"  Did  ye  think  he  was  a  whale,  lad  ? "  exclaimed 
the  Trapper,  "did  ye  think  he  was  a  whale,  and  he 
was  goin'  to  s waller  ye?  Ye  jumped  as  ef  ye  thought 
he   had  come  up  arter  ye.     Lord,  lad,  what  a  thing 


THE  MAy  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  3IUCH.  359 

narves  be  !  Now,  here  ye  be,  that  can  pull  the  strong- 
est oar  I  ever  seed  pulled,  and  I've  seed  ye  shoot  in 
sarcumstances  which  would  try  most  men,  and  ye 
stood  the  test,  and  now  ye  be  jumpin'  a  foot  —  yis,  ye 
sartinly  jumped  a  foot,  lad,  from  that  rock  —  when  the 
fish  broke  water.     What  a  thing  narves  be !  " 

"Shall  I  try  again,  John  Norton?"  said  the  Lad, 
who  was  laughing  himself,  at  his  own  foolishness, 
in  spite  of  his  evident  mortification.  "  Shall  I  try 
again  r 

"  Sartinly,  sartinly,"  said  the  old  man,  "  he's  a  good 
un,  and  he'll  rise  agin  ef  ye'll  give  him  a  chance. 
Shall  I  hold  on  to  ye,  lad?  It  sartinly  isn't  safe  for 
ye  to  be  jumpin'  in  that  way  standin'  where  ye  be  on 
the  p'int  of  the  rock ;  "  and  the  old  man  laughed. 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall  jump  again,  John  Norton. 
I  mean  to  hook  him  this  time,  sure." 

"  I  guess  ye  will,  lad,  I  guess  ye  will.  There's 
nothin'  so  sudden  as  a  thing  we  don't  expect,  and  ye 
didn't  expect  him  and  it  started  ye  ;  but  I  think  ye'U 
be  too  quick  for  him  this  time  ef  he  gives  ye  a  chance. 
Cast  at  the  same  spot,  lad,  for  a  trout  be  like  a  man, — 
he  resks  his  life  at  tine  same  spot  and  by  the  same  peril, 
and  larns  no  caution  by  escapes." 

Even  as  he  spoke  the  flies  again  settled  to  the  water, 
and  true  to  the  prediction  of  the  Trapper  the  trout 
rose  the  second  time  with  the  same  quickness  and 
energy  ;  but  the  eye  and  wrist  of  the  Lad  were  alike 
ready  for  him,  and  the  rod  doubled  up  to  the  strain 
which  the  Lad's  sudden  stroke  put  upon  it.     The  fish 


360  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

was  fairly  hooked,  and  the  Lad  played  hiin  with  dexter- 
ity, and  in  a  minute  he  lay  within  the  meshes  of  the 
landing-net  upon  the  rock. 

"  He's  a  good  un,  lad ;  yis,  he's  sartinly  a  good  un," 
said  the  old  man.  "  He'll  weigh  two  pound  and  a 
half  ef  he  weighs  an  ounce.  He's  eenamost  enouoh 
to  make  a  supper  ;  that  is,  he  would  be  ef  he  wasn't  a 
fish.  But  a  man  can  eat  jest  as  much  fish  as  he  wants 
to,  for  there  be  no  eend  to  his  eatin'  till  he  comes  to 
the  eend  of  the  fish.  Fish  ain't  solid ;  they  don't 
brace  a  man  out  like  venison  or  bear  meat.  Now  a 
piece  of  bear  meat  as  big  as  that  fish  would  make  ye 
feel  like  a  flour  bag  when  it  comes  from  the  mill. 
But  one  fish  ain't  enough  for  two  men,  ef  they  be 
long  and  empty.  Come,  I'll  try  a  cast  myself,  and  it 
may  be  the  Lord  has  a  bigger  one  than  this  waitin' 
for  us  in  the  bottom  of  the  pool."  So  saying  the 
Trapper  loosened  some  twenty  feet  of  line  from  the 
reel  and  made  ready  for  the  cast. 

"  How  I  wish  the  boy  was  here,"  he  said ;  "  how  I 
wish  the  boy  was  here,"  he  repeated,  "  for  1  never 
seed  a  man  cast  a  fly  quite  as  well  as  he  can  do  it ; 
and  this  rod  was  his  favorite.  He  said  he  had  used  it 
twelve  year  afore  he  gin  it  to  me  ;  and  that  is  three 
year  agone,  and  I  can't  see  that  it's  weakened  a  bit 
with  all  the  usin'  it's  had.  Many  be  the  time  I've 
seed  the  tip  brought  eenamost  down  to  the  butt  when 
a  big  fish  sot  his  heft  onto  it,  but  I  never  seed  a  fish 
git  the  better  of  it  yit.  Lord,  lad,  what  a  whirl  that 
was !     I  didn't  think  there  was  as  h\z  a  fish   in  the 


THE   3/.4.V  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  361 

river.  I  w  isli  the  boy  was  here  to  make  the  cast,  but 
as  he  isn't,  here  g"oes  !  " 

As  he  spoke  the  Old  Trapper  Kfted  his  hand  into 
the  air  and  swept  the  point  of  the  rod  upward  and 
back.  Thirty  feet  of  line  followed  the  movement  and 
straightened  taut,  wdiile  the  flies  hung  in  air  far  up 
the  stream,  midway  between  the  trees.  A  quick  turn 
of  the  wrist,  and  the  flies  leapt  forward,  shot  through 
the  air  past  the  rock,  until  the  line  straightened  in  the 
reverse  direction,  and  then  the  feathers  floated,  waver- 
ing, downward  until  they  flecked  the  tide.  They  lit 
upon  the  Avater  as  lightly  as  if  they  were  not  weighted 
with  the  hooks,  and  without  pausing  an  instant  began 
to  trail  across  the  stream.  They  had  not  gone  a  yard 
before  a  yellow  gleam  flashed  past  the  point  of  the 
ledge  on  which  the  Trapper  stood,  and  a  monstrous 
trout  broke,  wath  a  headlong  rush,  out  of  the  water, 
and  shot  upward  into  the  air,  as  if  projected  by  an 
unseen  force.  Its  very  eagerness  thwarted  his  pur- 
pose, for  he  missed  the  gaudy  bait  altogether.  An 
instant  he  hung  in  air,  at  the  point  to  which  his 
upw^ard  movement  had  carried  him,  and  then  fell,  with 
a  sj^lash,  into  the  stream. 

An  ejaculation  of  astonished  delight  broke  from  the 
Lad's  mouth  as  he  saw  the  monstrous  fish  above  the 
stream.  The  Old  Trapper  said  not  a  word,  but  a 
light  like  the  flash  of  a  sudden  flame  came  to  his 
countenance,  and  quick  as  lightning  he  snatched  the 
flies  from  the  water  and  swept  them  backward  for 
another  cast.     Again  they  darted  forward  to  the  full 


362  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

length  of  the  line  and  again  settled  slowly  upon  the 
tide.  They  had  barely  touched  the  surface  before  the 
head  of  the  fish  showed  itself,  and  his  monstrous  jaws 
closed  on  the  feather.  The  old  man  struck  so  sharp 
and  quick  that  the  rod  fairly  doubled  with  the  stroke 
and  the  line  quivered  with  the  tension  thus  suddenly 
put  upon  it,  till  the  water  flew  from  the  compressed 
braids. 

"  You've  got  him,  John  Norton,  you've  got  him  !  " 
shouted  the  Lad,  fairly  startled  out  of  his  ordinary 
composure  in  his  excitement. 

"  Yis  —  I  —  have  —  got  —  him,"  said  the  Trapper, 
"  and  ef  the  gut  don't  part,  and  the  old  rod  holds 
together,  we'll  bake  the  biggest  fish  to-night  I've  seed 
for  years." 

The  scene  which  followed  was  one  which  only  a 
fisherman  can  realize,  and  which  only  a  fisherman  can 
enjoy  a  dozen  times  in  his  life.  The  fish  was  the  big- 
gest of  his  species  ;  strong,  thoroughly  aroused,  and 
game  in  every  bone  of  his  body.  The  action  of  the 
fish  and  the  play  of  the  man  who  held  the  rod  made 
a  picture  such  as  is  seldom  seen.  No  sooner  had  he 
felt  the  sting  of  the  barbed  hook  than  the  fish  leapt 
wildly  into  the  air,  flinging  himself  out  with  the 
energy  of  a  black  bass ;  but  he  fell  on  a  line  slackened 
to  receive  him,  and  when  he  struck  the  water  it  was 
as  if  he  had  struck  it  in  full  motion,  for  he  tore  his 
progress  up  against  the  current  with  a  velocity  that 
caused  the  line  to  cut  the  water  with  an  angry  hiss. 
He  might  have  passed  the  point  of  the  rock  by  fifty 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDX'  T  KXOW  JIUCH  363 

feet,  when,  with  a  quickness  that  only  a  trout  can 
exhibit,  he  doubled  short  upon  his  course  and  launched 
himself  down  the  stream,  with  an  energy  which  only 
the  largest  fish,  when  thoroughly  aroused,  can  show. 
So  quick  was  the  manceuvre  and  so  tremendous  was 
the  velocity  with  which  he  passed  the  point  of  the 
rock,  that  he  was  seventy  feet  below  the  ledge  before 
the  old  man  could  get  the  needed  pressure  on  him. 
Only  the  eye  and  the  finger  of  an  expert  could  have 
done  it  as  it  was  done.  The  strain  was  not  put  sud- 
denly on  the  rod,  but  with  such  steadiness  that  the 
pressure  on  the  tackle  was  gradual.  But  skilful  as 
was  the  management,  the  fish  was  under  such  head- 
way, and  his  momentum  was  so  great,  and  he  fought 
the  tackle  with  such  determination,  that  for  an  instant 
even  the  Old  Trapper  doubted  if  he  could  stop  him. 
The  rod  doubled  itself  up  until  the  tip  was  almost 
even  with  the  butt.  It  quivered  and  swayed  as  a 
stubborn  rod  when  tasked  to  the  utmost  will,  and  all 
that  the  Trapper  could  do  to  ease  it  seemed  to  bring 
it  no  assistance.  It  fairly  creaked,  as  if  its  fibres  were 
about  to  part. 

The  Lad  was  too  anxious  to  say  a  word.  His  eyes 
were  fastened  on  the  rod,  and  his  mouth  half-opened 
in  suspense.  The  Old  Trapper  was  the  picture  of 
determined  coolness.  His  face  tightened  in  its  lines, 
and  his  teeth  set  themselves.  He  had  done  all  he 
could  do.  This  he  knew ;  and  the  rod  and  fish  were 
fairly  pitted  against  each  other.  For  a  few  seconds 
the  struggle  lasted.     The  fish  tugged  and  shook  him- 


364  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

self,  determined  not  to  yield,  but  the  wood  could  not 
be  overcome.  The  pliancy  of  perfect  nature  and  of 
scientific  workmanship  in  its  construction  at  last  pre- 
vailed. The  trout  flung  himself  into  the  air,  and 
when  he  fell  the  snap  was  out  of  him.  He  sank  to 
the  bottom,  and  began  to  fin  himself  easily  up  against 
the  current.  The  Trapper  improved  the  opportunity, 
and  stowed  the  line  upon  the  reel  with  the  dexterity 
of  long  practice,  cpiickened  into  swiftest  action  by  the 
emergency.  Like  a  true  fisherman,  he  gave  the  fish 
no  rest,  but  when  the  line  was  packed  and  ready  to 
render  he  stirred  the  trout  to  action  by  a  sharp  up- 
ward jerk  that  sent  him  flying.  Round  and  round  he 
went.  He  circled  the  pool  from  bank  to  bank  ;  swim- 
ming so  nigh  the  surface  that  his  curvatures  marked 
the  tide  with  whirls  and  eddies.  Now  and  then  he 
left  the  water,  but  the  eye  of  one  that  could  not  blun- 
der was  on  his  movements ;  a  hand  that  could  not 
mistake  governed  the  action  of  reel  and  rod ;  and  in 
one-fifth  of  the  time  that  it  w^ould  take  some  club 
men,  who  measure  the  skill  of  fishing  by  the  length 
of  time  to  which  they  can  prolong  such  an  exercise, 
the  Old  Trapper  had  the  trout  lying  on  his  side,  pant- 
ing W\i\\  great  gasps,  and  had  drawn  him  into  the 
landing-net  that  the  Lad  had  scooped  beneath  him. 

In  another  minute  the  great  trout  lay  upon  the 
rock,  and  the  two  men  were  kneeling  over  him  admir- 
ing his  huge  proportions  and  the  gorgeous  beauty  of 
his  tintings ;  but  even  as  they  thus  knelt,  and  before 
either  had  a  chance  to  say  a  word,  the  sharp  crack  of 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  365 

a  rifle  ripped  through  the  silent  air,  and  frightened  a 
dozen  echoes  from  the  neighboring  hillsides. 

If  the  bullet  had  cut  its  way  through  the  garments 
of  the  Trapper,  he  could  not  have  leapt  to  his  feet 
with  a  quicker  motion.  He  fairly  snapped  himself 
into  the  air,  and  as  he  struck  the  perpendicular  he 
dashed  a  hand  upward,  and  exclaimed  :  — 

"  Henry !  " 


CHAPTER   XV. 
henry's  ambush. 

"  Like  guests  that  meet  and  come  from  far, 
By  cordial  love  invited."—  Wordsworth. 

It  was  all  that  he  said,  but  he  said  it  with  an  in- 
tensity that  made  the  exclamation  as  sharp  as  the 
crack  of  the  piece  which  had  caused  it. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  John  Norton  ?  "  said  the  Lad, 
who  still  kept  the  kneeling  posture,  as  he  looked  up 
into  the  face  of  the  old  nian^  that  showed  white 
through  the  dusk  of  the  darkening  shadows,  ^'  what 
do  you  mean,  John  Norton  ?  " 

"  Mean  !  "  exclaimed  the  old  man,  "  Lord  of  marcy, 
lad,  Henry  be  within  a  mile  of  us  !  Didn't  ye  hear  his 
piece  : 

"I  heard  a  rifle,"  said  the  Lad,  in  reply,  ^^  but 
there  are  a  great  many  rifles  in  the  woods,  and  I  don't 
know  why  you  should  think  it  was  Henry's." 

"  Lad,"  said  the  old  man, ''  ye  be  good  at  rowin' 
and  divin',  and  ye  fiddle  as  naterally  as  a  rabbit  runs ; 
and  ye  sartinly  can  set  a  trap  that  even  a  fox  wouldn't 
suspect  —  and  that's  sayin'  a  good  deal,  for  a  fox 
be  the  cunningest  cretur  that  the  Lord  has  made. 
But  ye  haven't  the  hunter's  gift,  and  yer  ear  be  lackin'. 
I  tell  yC;  lad;  that  was  the  boy's  rifle  that  sounded. 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  367 

I  should  know  it  ef  I  was  clyin',  and  heerd  it  amid  a 
hundred,  when  the  ambushment  was  onkivered  and 
the  scrimmage  was  hot.  The  boy  be  within  a  mile  o£ 
us.  And  the  trout  won't  be  needed,  onless  it  be  to 
make  a  show." 

"  Why  won't  we  need  the  trout  ?  It's  all  we  have 
got,  but  the  pork  and  the  flour ;  and  if  Henry  is  com- 
ing he  must  have  pulled  fifty  miles  since  morning, 
and  be  as  hungry  as  I  am." 

"  Lord !  lad,"  said  the  Trapper  laughing,  "  don't 
ye  suppose  I  know  how  the  boy  feels  ?  He's  empty 
enough,  beyend  doubt,  and  the  air  of  the  woods  has 
sharpened  his  hunger ;  but  he's  sparin'  of  his  lead, 
and  he  shoots  too  well  to  act  like  a  boy  from  the 
settlements,  who  explodes  his  piece  for  the  sake  of 
hearin'  its  noise.  Yis,  he's  sparin'  of  his  lead,  and 
that  bullit  didn't  go  fur  afore  it  found  somethin'  to 
stop  it.  Lord-a-massy !  how  I  wish  I'd  been  lyin'  in 
the  mash  grass  when  he  sunk  his  eyes  into  the  sights. 
It's  almost  as  good  to  see  the  boy  go  through  the 
motions,  wdien  the  buck  stands  lookin'  at  him,  as  it  be 
to  hear  ye  fiddle ;  for  the  bow  comes  nateral  to  the 
one  and  the  rifle  comes  nateral  to  the  other.  I  tell 
ye,  lad,  there'll  be  venison  in  the  camp  when  the  boat 
teches  this  rock.  Come,  let's  draw  the  boat  up  into 
the  bush,  and  let's  make  an  ambushment.  Ah  me  ! 
it's  wuth  waitin'  three  year  to  come  to  the  time  when 
I  can  lie  down  in  the  grass  and  watch  him  paddle  his 
boat  up  sech  a  stretch  of  water  as  this.  How  well  I 
remember  the  night  I  ambushed  him  on  the  Lonely 


368  ADIEOXDACK  TALES. 

Lake  !  Yis,  yis^  let's  make  an  ambusliment  for  the 
boy,  and  see  how  he  acts  when  he  thinks  that  we've 
forgotten  what  we  pledged  him,  and  that  nobody's 
here."  And  the  old  man  laughed  heartily  to  himself, 
out  of  sheer  delight,  and  the  pleasure  that  had  come 
to  his  heart  at  the  thought  that  he  would  soon  have 
Herbert  by  the  hand. 

In  a  moment  the  boat  was  carried  up  the  ledge,  and 
sufficiently  back  from  the  river  to  be  hidden,  and  then 
the  two  men  crawled  back  to  the  edge  of  the  stream 
and  drew  the  grass  over  themselves  in  such  a  way  that 
even  in  broad  daylight  no  eye  could  have  detected 
them. 

In  the  meantime  nio^ht  had  settled  darklv  over  the 
woods.  The  sky  was  too  hazy  to  reveal  its  stars,  and 
the  linoferino'  sunlio^ht  in  the  far  west  had  been  sud- 
denly  extinguished  behind  a  great  black  bank  of 
clouds  that  portended  storm.  The  darkness  had  come 
with  unusual  suddenness,  and  was  growing  denser  with 
the  passing  of  every  minute.  The  pines  seemed  to 
emit  gloom  ;  the  balsams  to  breathe  out  blackness  with 
their  odors.  The  very  water  of  the  river  flowed  on 
as  if  i|;  were  ink.  In  twenty  minutes  from  the  time 
they  had  dragged  their  boat  over  the  bank,  and  gath- 
ered the  grasses  over  their  backs  and  heads,  the  dark- 
ness was  oppressive.  The  blackness  actually  burdened 
the  air.     Like  the  darkness  of  old,  it  could  be  felt. 

"  I  calculate,"  whispered  the  Trapper,  as  he  put 
his  lip  to  the  ear  of  the  Lad,  ''  I  calculate  the  boy 
must  be  pritty  near  the  bend  ;  and  ef  we  have  made 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  369 

an  ambush  for  him,  he'll  sartinly  try  to  ambush  us, 
for  he's  great  at  the  paddle  and  full  of  his  tricks." 

"  Do  you  think,  John  Norton,  that  Henry  knows 
we  are  here  ?  " 

'^  Knows  it  !  of  course  he  knows  it,"  whispered  the 
old  man  in  reply.  "  Didn't  I  tell  him  we'd  be  at  this 
p'int  on  the  day  and  the  hour?  And  ain't  the  day 
and  the  hour  come  ?  And  don't  he  know  that  ef  I 
be  livin'  on  the  'arth  I'd  be  here?  Sartinly  the  boy 
knows  we  be  here,  and  he'll  act  on  the  knowdedge. 
See  ef  he  don't." 

'^  Do  you  think  he  can  get  his  boat  into  this  pool 
without  our  seeing  him  ?  " 

"  Without  see'in  him,  lad  ;  of  course  he  can.  Do 
you  think  he'll  carry  a  bonfire  on  the  eend  of  his 
nose  to  tell  us  he  be  com  in'  ?  And  unless  he  does 
ye  couldn't  see  him  ef  his  boat  lay  in  the  pool  within 
length  of  his  paddle  from  our  eyes.  No,  we  won't 
see  him,  for  it's  agin  natur' ;  but  I  do  calculate 
to  hear  him ;  for  the  stream  shallers  below  the 
pool,  and  he  has  got  to  pole  his  boat  up  agiii 
the  current  ;  and  I  don't  believe  a  man  can  sink 
the  eend  of  his  paddle  into  the  sand,  on  a  night 
as  still  as  this,  whsn  my  ear  be  within  four  feet 
of  the  stream,  and  I  not  hear  the  sands  move. 
No,  I  sartinly  don't  believe  Henry  can  do  it.  And 
ef  he  does  git  his  boat  into  this  pool  without  my 
hearin'  him,  he'll  do  wliat  John  Norton  don't  mean  to 
have  him  do.  Now,  lad,  ef  ye've  got  any  more 
questions    to    ax    ye'd    better    put    'em    off    till    arter 


370  ADIBOXDACK   TALES. 

somethin'  has  happened  ;  for  Henry  has  got  an  ear 
like  a  lynx,  and  we  can't  be  convarsin'  here  in  the 
grass,  much,  Avithout  the  boy  hearin'  us ;  and  as  he's 
got  to  the  bend  by  this  time,  we'd  better  let  our 
tongues  rest  a  while  and  keep  our  ears  and  eyes  as 
open  as  natur'  will  permit. 

All  this  had  been  said  in  the  softest  of  whispers, 
and  with  the  concluding  word  the  two  men  became 
silent  and  profoundly  attentive. 

Forty  rods  below,  in  the  midst  of  the  impenetrable 
darkness,  was  a  boat.  In  the  bow  of  the  boat  was  a 
buck  ;  at  the  stern  was  a  man,  —  liis  paddle  moving 
in  the  water  as  easily  as  the  tail  of  a  fish  when, 
with  lazy  motion,  which  yields  sufficient  force,  he 
holds  himself  steadily  against  an  easy-going  current. 
His  position  was  such  as  to  command  the  stretch  of 
water,  and  the  ledge  in  the  pool  at  the  head  of  the 
stretch.  The  absence  of  any  light  or  signal  did 
not  cause  him  to  doubt  for  an  instant  the  presence 
of  his  friends.  He  knew  them  too  well  to  suspect 
even  for  a  moment  that  they  had  either  forgotten 
the  date  or  their  pledge,  fixed  and  given  years  be- 
fore. He  knew  that  if  John  Norton  was  living,  the 
old  man  was  standino-  in  the  darkness  on  the  ledsre, 
or  nigh  it.  And  he  more  than  half-suspected,  in 
the  absence  of  any  signal,  the  trick  that  the  old 
woodsman  was  trying  to  play  on  him.  He  felt  that 
the  old  scout,  wdiose  paddle  might  be  said  to  have 
been  made  from  silence  itself,  so  noiseless  could  he 
make  it  when  stealing  on  to  game  or  up  to  an  ambush- 


THE  MAl^  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  371 

ment,  had  in  this  quaint  and  perfectly  natural  manner 
challenged  him  to  an  exercise  of  his  skill.     He  knew 
as   well  as  the  Trapper  how   delicate   was  the   under- 
taking,   and    how    fine    would    he    the    exploit    if    he 
could  accomplish  it.     For  out  of  the  pool  the   water 
ran  with   rippling    swiftness,  and  with   barely  a    foot 
of  depth   over  a  stretch  of  sand,   which,  for  a  dozen 
rods,  forbade  paddling,  and  brought  the  boatman  to 
the  necessity  of    poling  his  boat  up  against  the  cur- 
rent.    To  do    this   on  so  dark  a  night,  in  so  strong 
a  current,  and  in  such  shallow  water,  in  a  way  that 
the  ripple  of  the  flowing  tide  against  the  curved  prow 
of  the  boat,  or  the  grating  of  the  sand  against  the 
paddle-blade,  as   it   was   sunk   into  it,  should    not   be 
detected  by  the  skilled  ear  that  he  felt  lay  almost  level 
with  the   water,    listening   for   the  sound,  the    young 
man   knew^  w^ould  tax  his  skill    to  the    utmost.     But 
difficult  as  was  the  task,  he  determined  to  attempt  it ; 
and    knowing    the    waters  well  —  having  pushed    his 
boat  over  the  same    stretch    on  many  a  night,  when 
hunting    in    years    past,  —  he    felt    that    if    he    were 
careful,  the  chances  were  in  his  favor. 

The  reader  can  scarcely  appreciate  how  strongly  the 
young  man  desired  to  place  his  boat,  under  the  cover 
of  intense  darkness,  within  twenty  feet  of  John  Nor- 
ton's eyes  before  the  old  man  should  know  of  his 
presence.  With  a  determination  not  to  lose  his 
opportunity  by  any  carelessness  on  his  part,  he 
put  a  little  stronger  pressure  on  his  paddle,  yield- 
ing   to  which,  the    boat    began    to    steal    its  way  up 


372  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

against  the  stream.  Slowly  he  forced  it  along  with  a 
motion  that  had  for  its  guiding  impulse  the  patience 
of  a  man  who  knows  that  to  do  well  the  thinof  he 
intends  to  do,  he  must  do  it  slowly.  Inch  by  inch  the 
little  vessel  glided  on,  until  the  young  man  knew  by 
the  increasing  pressure  of  the  current  that  the  bow  had 
almost  if  not  quite  come  to  the  shallows.  Then  easier 
still  he  pressed  it  forward,  feeling  with  his  paddle  for 
the  sand  that  he  knew  he  must  soon  touch.  At  last 
he  found  it,  and  the  really  difficult  part  of  the  under- 
taking was  now  upon  him.  With  the  utmost  steadi- 
ness of  motion  and  pressure  ;  with  a  dexterity  of  wrist 
that  few  could  equal  ;  with  the  sense  of  feeling  per- 
forming the  office  of  sight,  he  gauged  the  varying 
pressure  of  the  current  as  it  eddied  up,  —  now  against 
this  and  now  against  that  side  of  the  boat,  —  the 
strength  of  the  opposing  current,  and  the  quality  of 
the  sand  into  which  he  passed  and  from  which  he 
withdrew  his  paddle-blade ;  slowly,  steadily,  noise- 
lessly he  thus  worked  his  way  upward. 

There  is  a  faith  among  boatmen  that  boats  have 
their  moods ;  that  there  are  days  when  they  mis- 
behave and  days  when  they  do  their  best.  Engineers 
have  the  same  feeling  as  to  their  engines.  Some  days 
they  "  make  steam,"  some  days  they  won't.  One  trip 
they  act  "  beautifully,"  and  the  very  next  trip  they 
act  "  viciously."  Whether  the  theory  is  true  or  false, 
the  facts  are  undeniable,  and  the  faith  of  boatmen 
and  of  engineers  touching  the  matter  is  too  firmly 
established  to  be  shaken.     Whatever  be  the  truth  of 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  373 

the  case,  Ave  say,  Henry  felt  this  night,  as  he  was 
working  his  way  against  the  current  through  the 
darkness,  that  his  boat  was  acting  "  beautifully." 

Perhaps  spirit  is  superior  to  matter,  and  can  assert 
its  superiority  unconsciously.  Perhaps  the  inert  wood 
can  become,  as  it  were,  partly  conscious,  and  have 
charged  into  it  something  of  the  vital  quality  that 
directs  it.  Be  this  as  it  may,  as  we  have  said,  Henry 
felt  and  said  to  himself,  as  he  manoeuvred  in  the 
darkness,  that  the  boat  was  behaving  finely.  It  faced 
the  current  with  the  calm,  easy  determination  of  the 
man  whose  strength  was  pressing  it  upward.  It 
swayed  this  way  and  that  in  obedience  to  the  slight- 
est pressure  from  behind.  If  the  water  shallowed, 
it  seemed  to  dread  the  possibility  of  touching  sand, 
and  eased  away,  as  if  in  search  of  deeper  water. 

The  young  man  was  in  his  finest  mood ;  the  subtle 
forces  of  body  and  mind  seemed  to  concentrate  in 
union  of  endeavor  to  accomplish  the  deed.  His 
senses  were  sublimated.  Ear  and  feeling  made  good 
the  lack  of  sight.  Ay,  more  than  made  it  good, 
for  he  found  a  swifter,  more  accurate  interpreta- 
tion of  surrounding  conditions  in  deprivation,  than 
could  have  been  his  in  supply.  The  spirit  of  suc- 
cess was  in  him.  He  knew  he  should  accomplish 
the  deed.  He  did.  His  boat  stole  into  the  still 
pool  so  gradually,  that  had  it  baen  in  broad  day- 
light, even  John  Norton's  eyes  must  have  looked 
twice  and  closely  to  see  that  tha  boat  had  actual  move- 
ment, so  slowly  did  it  pass  its  length  into  the  pool. 


374  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

It  entered  the  pool ;  fairly  entered  it ;  on  that 
side  o£  the  current  which  carried  it  gradually  to 
the  right  as  it  passed  in  ;  entered  it,  and  floated 
idly  into  the  elhow  made  by  the  ledge  and  the 
bank,  so  that  when  it  stopped,  Henry,  with  the 
blade  o£  his  paddle,  could  have  parted  the  grass 
from  over  the  heads  of  the  old  man  and  the  Lad, 
where  they  lay  listening,  with  every  sense  alert  for 
his  coming.  And  thus,  in  the  dense  murk  and  the 
heavy  gloom,  the  three  men  sat  almost  within  hand's 
reach  ;  the  two  listening  for  the  one,  and  the  one 
listenins:  for  the  two. 

How  long  the  position  would  have  remained  thus, 
or  what  Herbert  would  have  done  had  there  been 
no  interruption,  cannot  be  told ;  for  an  interrup- 
tion came,  and  of  a  character  which  made  the  reve- 
lation instantaneous.  Throuoh  the  oloom  of  nio^ht 
the  forces  of  nature  had  been  marshalling  for  display. 
The  great  bank  of  clouds  which  had  enveloped  the 
sun  at  its  setting  had  moved  up  through  the  darkness 
and  enlarged  its  borders  until  its  upper  point  had 
been  pushed  half-way  to  the  zenith,  and  its  extremities 
almost  touched  either  pole  of  the  horizon.  Nature 
had  made  her  ambush  as  truly  as  man,  and  un- 
covered it  with  startling  energy.  For  suddenly,  out 
of  the  invisible  clouds,  a  shaft  of  condensed  fire 
leapt,  that  lanced  through  the  gloom  from  west  to 
east  —  cut  it  in  twain,  and  set  the  black  halves 
of  the  divided  atmosphere  aflame.  If  the  darkness 
had    been  one  vast  body  of  percussion  and  the  god 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  375 

of  fire  had  smote  it  with  his  hammer,  it  could  not 
have  exploded  in  fiercer  light.  The  hazy  sky ;  the 
tremendous  clouds  piled  in  vast  convolutions  in  the 
firmament ;  the  forest,  the  river,  the  ledge,  the  boat- 
man and  the  boat,  all  on  the  instant  stood  revealed 
vividly  distinct.  The  prolonged  flash  and  flame  had 
not  faded  away  when  the  Old  Trapper  leapt  from  the 
grass  on  the  bank  in  which  he  lay  hidden. 

"  Ye've  did  it,  Henry  !  Yis,  ye  sartinly  have  did 
it !  Ye  have  fetched  yer  boat  through  the  ripples 
and  over  the  sands,  while  the  ear  of  a  man  whose 
life  has  been  saved  more'n  once  by  his  hearin'  was 
within  four  feet  of  the  water.  And  yeVe  drifted 
yer  boat  within  two  yards  of  his  ears  and  he  never 
knowed  ye'd  come.  Ye  was  born  too  late,  boy; 
for  yer  gifts  p'int  to  the  trail  and  the  scrimmage, 
and  the  ambushment ;  and  ef  ye'd  lived  in  the  old 
war  time  ye'd  had  somethin'  to  bring  out  the  stuff 
that's  in  ye.  And  a  good  comrade  ye  would  have 
been  to  consort  Avith.  No,  don't  come  ashore,  boy, 
but  shove  up  the  stream  and  put  yer  best  licks 
into  the  paddle,  for  the  storm  be  comin',  and  we 
must  be  gittin'  home.  I  sartinly  long  to  take  ye  by 
the  hand,  but  it's  comfort  enough  to  know  that  ye  be 
in  the  land  of  the  livin'  —  wdiich  I  eenamost  doubted, 
—  and  that  ve  be  here  in  the  woods  ao;in.  Ye'U  find 
the  lodge  on  the  big  bank  to  the  right  as  ye  enter  the 
lake,  and  the  pups  will  be  glad  to  see  ye.  So  push 
on,  boy,  and  lively,  and  me  and  the  lad  will  follow 
on.     I  doubt  ef  ye  git  there  much  afore  us." 


376  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

The  sound  o£  Henry's  stroke  showed  that  his  boat 
was  rods  away  before  the  Trapper's  sentence  was 
concluded,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  Trapper  and 
the  Lad  had  launched  their  boat ;  and  lashinsr  the 
rod  to  its  place,  and  putting  the  fish  in  the  bottom, 
they  entered  it  and  started  up  the  stream. 

It  took  but  a  few  moments  for  Henry  to  reach 
the  lake,  and  in  a  minute  more  he  ran  the  boat 
ashore  on  the  soft  sand  that  made  a  little  beach 
at  the  w\ater's  edge  of  the  bank,  and  lifted  itself 
sharply  some  forty  feet  upwards.  This  he  mounted, 
and  seizins^  an  armful  of  brush  and  dried  bouo^hs 
that  lay  by  the  fire-place,  in  which  the  coals  still 
glowed,  he  threw  them  on  to  the  bed  of  embers, 
and  in  an  instant  a  flame  leapt  upward. 

Even  before  the  flame  rose  into  the  air  the  two 
hounds  were  tugging  at  their  chains  at  the  mouth  of 
their  kennel  in  the  wildest  ecstasy  of  delight.  By  eye 
and  nose  alike  they  had  recognized  the  comer ;  and  as 
Henry  approached  them  —  wdiich  he  did  on  the  in- 
stant, with  such  hearty  words  of  greeting  as  a  hunter, 
after  long  absence,  gives  on  return  to  his  favorites,  — 
the  hounds  poured  into  the  silent  air  of  night  their  re- 
joicing notes.  They  jumped,  they  stood  erect,  they 
put  their  paws  upon  his  shoulders,  they  kissed  his  face 
and  hands,  they  bayed  their  gladsome  welcome  out  so 
loud  and  strong  that  the  shores  resounded  with  the 
cry ;  and  even  the  mountains,  wdth  a  hundred  imita- 
tive echoes,  hailed  Henry's  return. 

Having    received    the    hounds'    happy    salutation, 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  377 

Henry  turned  towards  the  fire ;  and  as  he  came  to  it 
on  one  side,  the  Old  Trapper,  having  climbed  the 
bank  from  the  beach,  approached  it  on  the  other. 
Without  a  word  the  two  men  joined  their  hands,  and 
for  a  moment  each  looked  into  the  face  of  the  other, 
with  that  affectionate  curiosity  with  which  friends  that 
have  been  parted  gaze  at  each  other  when  they  meet, 
studying  the  changes  which  the  intervening  years 
have  wrouoht.  Nothino;  is  more  touchins:  than  such 
a  greeting.  The  gaze  means  so  much  and  suggests  so 
much.  The  eyes  have  their  own  language  then,  and 
many  an  interrogation  is  asked  and  answered  by  their 
glance. 

Thus  the  two  men  stood  gazing  at  each  other  in  the 
light  of  the  blazing  fire,  so  intently  that  neither 
noticed  the  approach  of  the  Lad.  "  Henry,"  at  last 
said  the  old  man,  "  I  be  glad  to  see  ye  agin  in  the 
land  of  the  livin'.  Twice  afore  have  we  waited  yer 
comin'  at  the  rock,  and  twice  have  we  camped  on  this 
bank  a  week  waitin'  ye,  and  ye  didn't  come.  And 
when  the  sun  went  down  to-night  and  ye  didn't  come, 
I  eenamost  thought  I  should  see  ye  no  more ;  and  the 
crack  of  yer  piece  lifted  a  heavy  load  from  my  feelin's, 
and  made  my  sperits  frisky.  Yis,  the  years  have 
changed  ye,  boy,  for  they've  sartinly  added  some  lines 
to  yer  face,  and  mixed  the  gray  in  yer  hair,  and  gin 
ye  a  kind  of  sober  look  that  shows  that  they  were 
filled  with  labor,  and  that  the  Lord  didn't  altogether 
keep  sufferin'  out  of  'em.  But  barrin'  this  ye  be  the 
same,  ouless  ye  be  fatter  by  a  trifle.     But  the  city,  I 


378  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

have  heeid,  be  a  famous  place  to  make  fat,  and  a 
month  at  the  oars  will  sweat  ye  down  to  the  size  that 
natur'  ordered  for  ye." 

"  I  can  truly  say,"  said  Herbert,  speaking  in  reply, 
"  that  I  am  as  glad  to  be  with  you  again  as  you  are  to 
have  me.  And  you,  John  Norton,  have  changed  next 
to  nothing  since  we  parted.  Your  eye  is  as  bright, 
your  grij)  as  strong  as  ever,  and  I  doubt  if  your  head 
has  added  a  gray  hair  to  it." 

"  I  dunno  about  that,  Henry ;  no,  I  dunno  about 
that,"  returned  the  old  man,  while  a  look  of  humor 
smoothed  in  part  the  carved  lines  of  his  countenance 
and  sharpened  the  gleam  of  his  eye,  "  the  grip  is  all 
right  yit,  for  sartin,  and  the  sights  look  open  and 
clean  as  they  orter  when  I  put  my  eye  into  'em,  with 
a  buck  or  a  bit  of  fur  that  I  want,  or  a  duck  or  a 
partridge  for  that  matter,  at  the  other  eend  of  'em. 
But  the  white  hairs  be  comin'  for  sartin,  for  a  man  be 
like  a  tree,  and  the  frost  teches  the  top  of  him  fust ; 
and  a  mortal  that's  lived  as  long  as  I  have  on  the  'arth 
has  lived  through  the  spring  and  summer  of  his  days, 
and  has  come  to  that  season  whose  days  be  short,  and 
whose  nights  be  long,  and  whose  frosts  be  many  and 
cold.  But  the  Lord  be  sartinly  gracious  to  me,  and  it 
looks  as  ef  my  days  would  be  lengthened  out  beyend 
the  ordinary  life  of  my  kind.  But  bless  my  soul ! 
here  stands  the  Lad,  and  we  haven't  given  him  a 
chance  to  greet  ye." 

It  was  with  but  little  less  feelinof  than  that  which 
characterized  the  meeting  of  Herbert  and  the  Trapper 


THE  MAX  WHO  DID  XT  KXOW  MUCH.  379 

that  the  two  young  men  greeted  each  other.  Long 
and  heartily  they  shook  each  other's  hand,  and  a 
goodly  sight  they  presented  as  they  stood  in  their 
youth  and  manly  vigor  facing  each  other ;  their  coun- 
tenances lighted  up  with  friendship  and  with  smiles. 

"Do  ye  see,  Henry,"  said  the  Trapper,  "how  the 
Lid  has  thickened  up  sence  ye  seed  him  ?  I  can't  say 
that  he's  act'ally  pussy  yit,  but  he's  bigger'n  he  was 
round  the  waist,  and,  as  I  tell  him,  he's  only  jest 
begun  to  grow.  He  looks  a  leetle  lank  to-night,  for 
he  and  me  come  through  from  the  Racquette  sence  ten 
in  the  mornin',  and  we  haven't  eaten  a  morsel  sence 
breakfast.  But  arter  he's  had  supper,  ef  the  buck 
down  there  in  yer  boat  is  a  good-sized  un,  so  he  can 
feel  he  can  eat  enough  without  robbin'  us,  ef  ye'll 
inspect  him  ye'll  see  that  his  feedin'  has  ben  of  the 
right  sort  sence  ye  left ;  and,  ef  nothing  happens,  I'll 
have  him  in  good  condition  in  a  year  or  two  more." 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  the  Lad,  "  if  you  do  make  fun 
of  my  eating,  for  I  know  you  love  to  see  me  eat ;  and 
I  think  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  get  some 
tenderloin  steak  out  of  that  buck  in  Henry's  boat,  and 
get  supper  as  soon  as  we  can ;  for  the  storm  will  be 
here  by  and   by,  and  I  don't  hke  to  eat  in  the  storm." 

"I  agree  with  the  lad,"  said  Herbert.  "I  ate 
breakfast  at  seven,  and  I  have  taken  nothing  but  a 
biscuit  and  a  lemon  since,  and  I  doubt  if  I  w^as  ever 
hunoTier  in  mv  life." 

"  Well,  well,"  said  the  Old  Trapper,  laughing, 
"  you  and  the  lad  tend  to  the  buck,  and  I'll  get  the 


380  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

fisli  and  flapjacks  ready^  and  ef  there  be  a  tater  left 
in  the  bag  we'll. have  it  biled;  for  ef  ever  there  was  a 
time,  lad,  for  you  and  me  to  celebrate,  it's  to-night, 
for  Henry  be  here  ;  and  ef  there  be  a  tater,  he  shall 
have  it,  for  sartin." 

The  quickness  with  which  a  meal  can  be  prepared 
in  the  woods  by  three  men,  when  provisions  are 
plenty,  the  fire  well  a-going,  especially  if  the  men  are 
hungry,  would  be  a  revelation  to  most  of  the  cooks  at 
our  aristocratic  hotels.  Not  more  than  thirty  minutes, 
at  the  most,  had  passed  before  the  three  men  were 
seated  around  their  bark  table,  which  was  moved  up 
within  the  circle  of  the  clear  firelight,  and  discussing 
the  viands  with  appetites  whose  sharpness  forbade,  for 
several  minutes  at  least,  conversation. 

"  One  thing  be  sartin,"  said  the  Trapper,  as  he  put 
the  second  steak  on  Henry's  plate,  and  followed  it 
with  the  remaining  potato,  "  one  thing  be  sartin,  ye 
have  changed  somethin'  in  yer  looks,  but  ye  haven't 
changed  a  bit  in  yer  appetite.  Ef  ye  do  manage  to 
git  round  that  plateful,  and  then  dip  into  the  cakes 
hearty  like,  and  fill  in  the  chinks  with  some  of  the 
fish,  ye'll  have  a  feelin'  of  fullness  in  ye  that'll  be 
comfort]  n'.  It'll  be  nip  and  tuck  at  ween  you  and 
the  lad  arter  this,  and  I'm  mighty  glad  ye  can  run 
together,  as  we  say  of  the  dogs,  for  yer  mouths  be 
jest  alike,  and  the  way  they  open  and  shet  as  the 
vict'als  go  in  be  good  enough  to  make  an  old  man  wish 
he  was  younger  ;  for  the  years  that  add  to  the  head 
take  from  the   stomach,  and  the  aged,  whether  it  be 


THE  MAy   WHO  DWX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  381 

dog  or  mortal,  eats  spariii'  ;  "  and  the  old  man  moved 
his  rude  stool  back  a  foot  or  two  from  the  table,  and 
gazed  at  his  young  companions  with  a  look  in  which 
gravity  and  hnmor  were  equally  mingled,  as  if  the 
spectacle  of  their  heartiness,  while  it  stirred  the  sense 
of  the  ludicrous  in  him,  called  up  at  the  same  time 
reminiscences  of  his  own  earlier  days. 

It  is  only  in  the  interest  of  accurate  statement  to 
say  that  when  the  young  men  moved  their  stools 
back  from  the  board,  steak,  fish,  and  cakes  had  alike 
disap23eared,  even  to  the  last  scrap. 

^^Well,"  said  the  Trapper,  "I'm  raally  thankful 
that  the  plates  be  left,  for  the  dishes  be  handy,  and  I 
don't  think  they  would  have  set  wutli  a  cent  on  yer 
stomachs  ef  ye'd  eaten  'em.  Lord,  what  appetites  the 
young  have  !  The  sight  of  yer  eatin'  takes  me  back 
fifty  year,  and  brings  up  many  a  feastin'  I  had  in  the 
years  that  be  gone,  both  alone  and  with  comrades  that 
slept  and  ate  on  the  trail  with  me.  The  comrades  be 
scattered  now,  and  the  greater  part  of  'em  be  gone 
forever,  but  natur'  be  the  same  to-day  as  it  was  then, 
and  the  sight  of  yer  eatin'  has  called  up  a  hunderd 
faces  that  I  knowed  when  I  was  a  young  man  myself. 
Come,  let's  clear  away  the  table,  and  pile  on  the  hard 
wood,  for  the  thunder  be  rollin'  in  the  mountains,  and 
the  rain  will  be  comin'  afore  long^.  I  never  knowed  a 
hotter  day  than  this,  and  the  'arth  will  shake  under 
the  lodge  afore  mornin'." 

In  a  few  moments  the  dishes  were  washed,  the  table 
removed,  and  the  greenwood  logs  so  placed  that,  while 


382  ADIBONDACK    TALES. 

the  lower  edges  lay  in  contact  with  the  glowing  coals 
underneath,  the  upper  sides  made  a  protection  like  a 
roof  for  the  fire.  The  three  men  stretched  themselves 
in  easy  recumbent  postures  at  the  entrance  of  the 
lodge,  and  awaited  the  coming  of  the  storm.  The 
conversation  was  of  a  character  naturally  suggested  to 
the  mind  by  the  grand  and  indeed  sublime  surround- 
ings. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE    THUNDER-STORM. 

•*  I  have  called  for  the  mutinous  winds, 
And  'twixt  the  green  sea  and  the  azured  vault 
Set  roaring  war  :  to  the  dread,  rattling  thunder 
Have  I  given  lire,  and  rifted  Jove's  stout  oak 
With  his  own  bolt."  —  Shakexpeare. 

The  forces  of  the  storm  were  now  so  far  developed 
as  to  have  fairly  come  into  action.  The  earth  and  sky 
were  alike  electric,  —  the  air  and  ground  thoroughly 
charged  with  the  subtile  fluids.  The  atmosphere  was 
ready  to  ignite  at  every  point,  and  the  explosions 
followed  each  other  in  volleys.  The  lightning  was 
incessant.  It  ran  in  fiery  rivers  down  the  declivities 
of  the  firmament,  emptying  itself  in  the  far  distance. 
It  cut  its  fiery  zigzags  hither  and  yon,  so  lurid  and 
fiercely  hot  that  the  eyes  ached  as  they  beheld.  It 
shot  its  bolts  horizontally  through  the  air,  which 
exploded  ever  and  anon  like  powerful  rockets :  the 
very  water  burnt  with  a  blue  light,  as  if  the  electric 
fluid  floated  like  oil  upon  its  surface.  There  were 
moments  of  darkness,  but  the  illumination  was  almost 
instant,  as  if  the  body  of  the  air  itself  were  combust- 
ible, and  incendiary  imps  were  flinging  blazing  brands 
throuo'h  it. 

As  the  Old  Trapper  had  predicted,  the  earth  was 
tremulous.     Its  solidity  was  assaulted   with   such  vio- 


384  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

lence  that  the  subterranean   pillars  trembled  through 
all    their   mighty    shafts,  and    shook    on    their   broad 
bases.     The  crust  o£  the  globe  was  jarred  in  its  every 
particle.     Whatever  substance  —  earth,  rock,  or  log  — 
the  spectator  occupied,  he  felt  the   grains   and  fibres 
jump    as    the    concussions    ripped    above    him.      The 
cloud,   or   clouds,   for   the  whole  firmament    was  now 
possessed,   brought  out    by    the    lightning's    blaze   to 
plainest  vision,  were  awful  to  look  upon.     The  heaven 
was    in  tumult ;    embodied  violence  tore  through    it ; 
huge    convoluted    masses    of    rolling    darkness    hung 
overhead ;    cumuli    were    rolled    upon    cumuli,    white 
scuds   sped,  like  vapory  ghosts   in  terror,  in  all  direc- 
tions ;  the  winds  chased  them  at  random  ;  the  atmos- 
phere   was    in    anarchy ;    ungovernable    forces    rioted 
overhead  ;  the  world  trembled  as  with  fright,  and  one 
miofht  have  imasfined  that  the  stars  would  have  been 
shaken    from  their  orbits,  and   consummated  the   uni- 
versal disorder  with   universal  ruin.     The  mountains 
bellowed ;  the   ravines   belched    noises ;  reverberations 
from   either  side  of  the  lake   met  in  mid   career  and 
swallowed     each    other   up ;    the    minor    echoes   were 
struck  dumb    in    their    leafy  doorways,  and   now  and 
then,  for  a  single    instant,  an   awful   silence  reigned, 
which,    in    an   instant    more,   burst  at  its  very  centre 
with  tremendous    explosions.     The   face  of    the    Lad 
showed  white  in  the  glare  of  the   lightning.     Herbert 
watched     the    exhibition    with    an  eye    educated    by 
science  to  note  cause  and  effect.     The   dogs   cowered, 
trembling,  in  their  kennel )  they  shook  with  the  ague 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  385 

of  fright.  The  countenance  of  the  Trapper  was 
grave,  with  the  gravity  of  a  man  devoid  of  fear, 
but  profoundly  impressed  with  the  majesty  of  the 
scene. 

Up  to  this  point  the  storm  had  been  a  "  dry  storm." 
Not  a  drop  of  rain  had  fallen,  nor  had  the  atmos- 
pheric convulsions  reached  the  earth.  The  winds 
were  "  running  high,''  as  the  Old  Trapper  said ;  they 
were  at  war  with  the  clouds,  and  amid  the  clouds 
they  rioted.  But  signs  were  not  lacking  which 
revealed  to  a  woodsman's  eye  that  the  commotion 
was  descending,  and  that  ere  long  the  earth  would 
be  the  scene  of  the  same  confusion  which  thus  far 
had  prevailed  only  overhead. 

"  I've  lived,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  threescore  year 
in  the  woods,  and  amid  the  scenes  of  natur',  and  I 
have  seed  and  heerd  most  of  the  sigfhts  and  sounds 
that  larn  mortals  their  weakness,  but  I  never  seed 
lightnin'  that  fixed  itself  on  the  eyeballs  hotter  than 
this  does  to-night,  nor  heerd  thunder  jar  the  'arth 
under  me  more  'arnest-like  than  those  claps  do. 
I  should  think,  Henry,  that  the  very  underpinnin' 
was  givin'  out  under  me,  and  that  the  Lord  was 
eenamost  shakin'  His  own  buildin'  to  pieces,  by  the 
way  that  the  ground  quivers  as  the  peals  roll  over- 
head." 

"  I  never  heard  such  thunder  myself,"  said  Henry, 
"  save  once  before,  and  that  was  eight  years  ago 
on  the  Racquette,  and  I  am  sure  I  never  saw  light- 
ning so  fierce  and    hot,  even  then." 


386  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

"  I  doubt  ef  ye  ever  did,  boy,"  returned  the  Trap- 
per, "  for  the  air  seems  to  barn  as  ef  it  was  tinder. 
Lord  !  what  a  flash  that  was  !  It  made  my  eyes  fairly 
shrivel ;  and  there's  sartinly  one  pine  less  on  yon  hill, 
for  I  saw  the  bolt  strike  it ;  and  when  lightnin' 
hits  a  pine  it's  apt  to  make  kindlin'  wood  of  it 
from  top  to  bottom.  I've  sometimes  thought  that 
even  the  Lord  got  careless  and  wasteful-like  at  times, 
when  I've  seed  the  pines  and  the  spruces  that  He 
had  ripped  open  without  cause.  I  never  sunk  an 
axe  myself  into  the  stump  of  a  tree  yit  that  didn't 
show  signs  of  dyin',  or  else  was  too  crooked  to 
have  any  right  to  live ;  and  I've  wondered  that 
the  Lord  didn't  exercise  more  jedgment  in  His  chop- 
pin',  for  I  never  seed  a  dead  tree  or  a  crooked 
un  that  His  lightnin'  struck  yit,  and  it  sartinly  don't 
seem  jedicious  to  rip  open  the  best  trees  for  sport, 
when  the  bad  uns  would  do  jest  as  well.  But  I 
s'pose  He  has  reason  on  His  side  ef  we  mortals 
could  see  it,  or  else  He  gits  playful-like  now  and 
then,  and  things  happen  that  wouldn't  happen  ef 
He  was  in  sober  'arnest." 

"  You  don't  think  that  the  Lord  is  really  play- 
ful, do  you,  John  Norton?"  said  the  Lad,  moving 
his  seat  up  nearer  to  the  old  man,  as  if  he  thought 
a  greater  degree  of  safety  could  be  found  in  close 
personal  contact,  than  in  the  edge  of  the  firelight 
where  he  had  been  sitting. 

"  I  sartinly  do,  lad  ;  yis,  I  sartinly  think  there  must 
be  a  good  deal  of  playfulness  in  the  Maker,  for  I  don't 


THE  MAX  WHO  DID  XT  KXOW  MUCH.  387 

see  how  He  could  get  the  idee  of  makiii'  His  creturs  so 
playful  and  frisky-like  ef  there  wasn't  plenty  of  fun 
in  Him  somewhere.  Now,  when  I  have  laid  in  the  grass 
and  watched  the  beavers,  and  seed  the  cunnin'  of  the 
creturs,  and  when  I've  stretched  myself  over  a  ledge 
and  seed  the  leetle  wolf-whelps  caper  and  cut  up  their 
antics  at  the  mouth  of  the  den,  laughin'  till  my  eyes 
watered  at  the  tricks  of  the  leetle  woolly  scamps, 
and  recollected  that  the  Lord  made  'em  and  put 
every  thin'  in  'em  that  is  in  'em  except  their  bite 
—  yis,  except  their  bite  —  I've  sartinly  felt  that 
there  must  be  a  good  deal  of  playfulness  in  Himself 
or  He  never  would  have  thought  of  makin'  sech  play- 
ful creturs." 

"  What  do  you  think  about  the  panthers  ?  "  said 
Herbert. 

"  Henry,"  said  the  old  man,  as  he  rose  to  a  sit- 
ting posture  with  deliberate  earnestness,  "  I've  thought 
a  good  deal  about  them  panthers,  and  wondered  how 
they  come  to  be  made  anyway,  for  they  sartinly  be 
the  most  cowardly,  sneakin',  savage  animils  that  runs 
in  the  woods.  And  I  never  seed  a  good  thing  in  one 
of  'em,  and  I  don't  believe  that  the  Lord  ever  made 
a  single  one  of  the  pesky  things." 

"  Why,  how  do  you  think  they  were  made,  then  ?  " 
retorted  Herbert. 

"  Made !  "  said  the  old  man,  "  I  think  the  devil 
made  'em !  Yis,  they  be  the  devil's  own  children, 
them  panthers,  for  they  be  jest  like  him.  They  won't 
look  ye  in  the  eye  and  they  won't  fight  ye  ef  ye  have 


388  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

a  wepon  ;  and  they  are  always  watchin'  to  take  ye 
onawares  ;  and  there's  no  marey  in  'em,  and  they  kill 
for  the  love  of  killin'.  I  was  trailin'  last  year  nigh 
the  head-waters  of  Cold  River,  yender,  and  I  heerd  a 
great  bleatin',  and  I  scooted  up  on  my  snow-shoes 
toward  the  sound,  till  I  run  acrost  a  yard  with  a  dozen 
deer  in  it,  and  I  found  what  I  thought  I  should  find  : 
an  old  panther  at  work  there,  and  he  had  killed  five 
of  the  innercent  creturs,  and  his  teeth  was  in  the 
throat  of  another  —  a  two  year  old  buck  —  and  I 
drawed  on  him,  and  I  larnt  him  a  lesson  of  marcy 
quick  as  powder  could  barn.  Yis,  I  pulled  both 
triggers  at  once,  and  the  bullits  took  him  square 
over  the  eyes,  and  they  lifted  the  scalp  of  the 
varmint ;  and  I  never  felt  better  than  when  I  tore 
the  skin  off  from  his  carcass  and  flung  it  out  on 
the  snow  for  the  ravens  to  pick.  No,  no,  Henry, 
the  Lord  never  made  a  panther,  I'm  sartin  on 
that." 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  said  the  Lad,  suddenly. 

"Ye'll  know  what  it  is  afore  long,  lad,"  said  the 
old  man,  after  a  moment's  listening.  '^  It  be  the 
might  of  the  storm  on  the  other  side  of  the  moun- 
tin.  It's  nigh  on  to  twenty  mile  away,  but  ye  can 
hear  it  comin'  as  ef  the  Lord's  own  feet  was  tramplin' 
down  the  trees.  Yis,  the  winds  have  settled  to  the 
'arth  and  the  trees  are  bein'  tested  as  mortals  be 
tested  in  the  jedgment.  The  rotten-hearted  uns  and 
them  whose  roots  be  weak  must  go  down  when  the 
breath  of  His  power  and  His  wTath  blow  agin   'em. 


THE  MAy  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  389 

Hark  !    and  ye'll  hear    how  small    is  the  strength  of 
the  *arth  when  the  wrath  of  its  Maker  be  stirred." 

The  three  men  became  silent.  Their  senses  turned 
toward  and  concentrated  on  the  approaching  storm. 
Dull,  heavy,  monotonous,  the  dreadful  sound  came  on. 
The  far-ofP,  portentous  murmur  grew  and  swelled, 
until  it  became  a  roar.  It  moved  up  the  western 
slope  of  the  mountain  range  until  it  reached  the  crest, 
and  without  pausing  for  a  moment,  came  tearing 
downward  with  accelerated  speed.  The  lightnings  lit 
its  path  as  if  to  make  more  dreadful  its  approach  by 
the  revelation  of  its  power.  The  eyes  of  the  three 
men  w^ere  lifted  toward  the  western  ridge.  The  air, 
for  miles  along  the  front  of  its  advance,  was  thick 
with  the  evidences  of  its  violence.  Leaves,  moss,  tufts 
of  branches,  and  even  great  boughs,  wrenched  from 
swaying  tree-tops  and  hurled  upward,  were  flying 
overhead.  Soon  individual  noises  broke  the  monotony 
of  the  terrible  uproar.  The  crack  of  mighty  trunks 
snapped  shortly  off,  fifty  feet  from  their  roots  ;  the 
crash  of  rending  wood  as  the  fierce  suction  wrenched 
giant  branches  from  their  fastenings ;  the  rush  of 
descending  tree-tops  as  they  swept  through  the  air  in 
act  of  falling  ;  the  heavy  thud  as  they  struck  the 
earth  with  reverberating  thump  ;  the  shriek  and  fierce 
whistling  of  wdnds  tearing  onward  in  mad  career  — 
thus  came  the  storm.  It  was  as  if  the  kino-  of  tumult 
himself  had  harnessed  his  steeds  and  mounted  his 
chariot,  whose  wheels  in  revolution  drowned  even  the 
thunder's  peal. 


390  ADIROXDACK  TALES. 

As  the  storm  came  on  and  the  evidences  of  its 
terrific  violence  accumulated,  the  Lad,  perhaps  uncon- 
sciously, had  crept  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  Trapper, 
until  his  frightened  countenance  was  within  a  foot  of 
the  old  man's  calm,  uplifted  face,  and  his  hands  were 
actually  clutching  his  garments.  Henry,  in  his  excite- 
ment, had  risen,  and  unable  to  restrain  himself  longer, 
exclaimed  :  — 

^'  John  Norton,  1  never  saw  anything  like  that  !" 

The  old  man  never  moved  a  muscle ;  his  eyes  never 
wandered  from  the  line  of  the  storm's  approach.  His 
expression  was  one  in  which  curiosity,  awe,  and  calcu- 
lation were  equally  mingled.  The  terrific  violence 
was  within  a  half-mile  of  the  spot  where  he  sat,  and 
the  air  above  his  head  was  already  thickening  with  the 
fragments  which  the  upper  winds  were  bearing  for- 
ward in  the  advance,  when  he  rose  suddenly  to  his 
feet.  He  seized  the  Lad  by  the  arm,  and  swinging 
around  he  laid  the  other  hand  on  Herbert's  shoulder 
and  shouted  —  for  the  uproar  had  now  fairly  reached 
them,  and  ordinary  utterance  could  not  be  heard  :  — 

"  The  strength  of  the  storm  be  beyend  mortal 
measurement,  and  this  spot  be  not  safe.  We  must 
take  to  the  bank  and  burrow  into  the  sand  under  the 
ledge.  Cut  the  dogs  loose,  Henry,  that  the  pups  may 
find  safety.  Git  yer  fiddle,  lad,  while  I  git  the  guns 
and  the  powder.  The  lodge  may  stand,  for  I  built  it 
myself,  and  the  withes  round  the  timbers  be  strong, 
but  ef  the  wind  gits  under  it,  it  won't  tech  the  'artli 
this  side  the  head-waters  of    the  Hudson.     Be  lively. 


THE  MAY  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  391 

bojs,  for  the  Lord  be  in  'ariiest,  and  it  behooves  mor- 
tals to  be  active." 

In  an  instant,  as  it  were,  his  command  had  been 
obeyed,  and  the  three  men,  Avith  the  dogs,  the  gun, 
the  violin,  and  the  boats  —  which  Henry  had  seized, 
one  with  either  hand,  and  dragged  with  him,  as  he 
struck  the  beach  at  the  foot  of  the  bank,  —  were 
collected  under  the  ledo-e. 

It  was  well  that  they  had  bestirred  themselves,  for 
they  were  barely  at  the  spot  which  the  Trapper  had 
designated  as  the  point  of  safety,  wdien  the  line  of  the 
storm  swept  over  them.  The  ledge  was  of  such  a 
nature  that  it  inclined  outward  from  the  base  at  an 
angle  sufficient  to  protect  them  both  from  the  plunging 
rain,  which  suddenly  descended  in  torrents,  and  from 
the  fallino:  frag^ments  which  were  hurtlino^  throuoh 
the  air.  The  huge  bank  out  of  which  it  jutted  gave 
abundant  protection  from  the  tornado  itself.  And 
thus  kneeling  on  the  sand,  with  the  ledge  projecting 
above  them  and  the  huge  bank  rising  behind,  they 
were  able  to  observe  the  movement  of  the  tempest 
from  a  point  of  observation  perfectly  secure.  The 
violence  of  the  wind  was  astonishino;.  It  tore  its  wav 
through  the  beech  grove,  that  nestled  in  the  swale  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountain,  with  such  fierceness  as  to 
virtually  destroy  it.  In  the  morning  half  the  trees 
were  found  prostrate,  and  the  branches  of  those  that 
remained  were  sadly  wrenched  and  disfigured.  It 
struck  the  water  with  the  force  of  an  actual  concussion. 
It  cut  grooves  through  it,  scooped  depressions  along 


392  ADIBOXDACK    TALES. 

its  surface,  and  blew  the  edges  away  in  flying  froth. 
Whirlwinds  darted  downward  and  spun  themselves 
alonof  the  water  with  a  revolution  so  swift  that  the 
suction  fairly  lifted  it  in  spirals.  The  sands  on  the 
beach  jumped  upward  and  were  sent  hissing  through 
the  air ;  the  marsh-grass  and  reeds  along  the  shore 
flattened  and  lay  prone.  The  wind  was  too  fierce  for 
waves  —  the  crests  of  the  growing  undulations  were 
sheared  off  as  if  the  wind  had  an  edge  keen  as  a  knife  ; 
the  under  halves  were  pressed  downward  and  the 
upper  portions  blown  upward  through  the  air  in  mist. 
For  ten  minutes,  perhaps,  the  tempest  kept  the  full 
proportions  of  its  fury,  and  then  the  winds  sank  per- 
ceptibly, although  they  still  blew  with  the  velocity  of 
a  gale.  The  lake  bagan  to  roll  in  great  waves,  their 
crests  white  as  if  edged  with  dry  snow ;  and  the  hol- 
low intervals,  deep  and  dark,  were  streaked  with  frothy 
lines.  The  billows  swelled,  curved,  and  roared.  They 
splashed  and  hissed  as  they  seethed  along.  They 
rolled  tumultuously  one  after  the  other,  as  if  in  mad 
pursuit  and  madder  flight,  pursuer  and  pursued.  At 
times  the  rain  fell  in  torrents.  It  burst  out  of  the 
clouds  as  if  the  reservoirs  of  the  upper  air  had  broken 
their  bounds  and  poured  their  deluge  bodily  down- 
ward. At  other  times  it  ceased  and  for  minutes  not 
a  drop  would  fall.  The  storm  was  passing  eastw^ard. 
The  thunder,  though  incessant,  was  less  concussive  ; 
and  the  lightning,  though  vivid  and  fiarce,  flashed  on 
the  lake  from  a  farther  distance.  The  uproar  had 
now  so  far  subsided  that  with  a  little  extra  effort  con- 
versation could  be  carried  on. 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  393 

"It  is  a  dreadful  blow,  for  sartin/'  said  the  old  man, 
"  and  mighty  leetle  choppin'  will  me  and  the  lad  have 
to  do  for  the  lodge-fire  this  winter,  for  I  heerd  the 
wind  comin'  through  the  beech-grove  in  the  swale  as  I 
dove  down  the  bank,  and  I  know  by  the  sound  that  it 
did  a  good  deal  of  cuttin'.  I  sartinly  hope  the  lo^lge 
has  stood,  for  it's  ben  my  home  off  and  on  for  twelve 
year.  And  a  man  gits  used  to  a  cabin  as  he  does  to 
his  garments,  and  it  takes  some  time  afore  he  can  git 
wonted  to  the  change.  I  hope  no  man  be  on  the  lake 
to-night,  for  there's  nothing  but  a  canoe  that  could 
live  in  that  sea,  and  there  ain't  many  paddles  in  the 
woods  that  could  manage  one  jediciously  in  sech  wild 
water.  A  man  must  be  a  fool  or  crazy  to  ventur' 
out  —  " 

"  Whafs  that !  "  screamed  the  Lad. 

The  voice  of  his  exclamation  was  so  sharp  and 
piercing,  and  so  suddenly  ejaculated,  that  Herbert  and 
the  Trapper  fairly  started. 

"  Where  be  it,  lad  ?  where  be  it  ?  "  exclaimed  the 
Trapper,  as  he  peered  into  the  darkness.  "  Wait  for  a 
flash  and  p'int  it  out  when  it  comes." 

For  a  moment  the  three  men  stood  waiting,  while 
throuQfh  the  darkness  the  white  crests  of  the  billows 
alone  showed  themselves,  and  out  of  the  gloom 
rolled  the  thunder  of  their  roar,  and  then  the  flash 
came. 

It  needed  not  the  finger  of  the  Lad  to  point  out  the 
object,  the  sight  of  which  had  opened  his  mouth  with 
the  startling  cry,  for  there  in  full  view,  a  mile  from 


394  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

the  shore,  in  the  midst  of  the  rolling  waves,  and  lifted 
on  the  very  crest  of  a  billow,  was  a  boat,  and  in  it, 
vividly  outlined,  was  seen  standing  the  form  of  a  man 
with  his  arms  outstretched  and  his  hands  and  face 
lifted  to  the  heavens. 

%Crazij  John  ! '' 

The  words  were  heaved  from  the  very  depths  of  the 
Trapper's  chest,  and  as  he  spoke  them  tlie  flash  died 
away,  and  the  vision  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  and 
again  through  the  gloom  only  the  white  flash  of  the 
waves  could  be  seen,  while  out  of  the  darkness 
sounded  heavy  and  solemn  the  roar  of  their  dirge-like 
roll. 

''  I  will  save  him!  "  said  the  Lad,  and  he  laid  hold 
of  the  bow  of  his  boat  to  drag  it  into  the  water. 

"  Stoj)  where  ye  he  !  "  exclaimed  the  Trapper,  as  he 
seized  the  other  side  of  the  boat  and  held  it  with  so 
strong  a  grip  that  the  Lad  could  not  move  it  an  inch. 
''  Stop  where  ye  be,  lad,  and  leave  this  job  to  the 
plannin'  of  an  older  head  than  yourn.  The  man  must 
be  saved  for  sartin,  ef  it  be  within  mortal  power ;  for 
thouoh  the  fit  be  on  him  and  he  has  leetle  sense,  it 
mustn't  be  said  by  a  man  on  the  'arth,  or  by  the  Lord 
in  the  heaven,  when  we  come  to  His  presence,  that 
three  men  stood  on  this  beach  and  seed  one  of  His 
creturs  in  peril,  even  ef  he  sought  it  in  his  foolishness, 
and  made  no  effort  to  save  him.  Yis,  he  must  sar- 
tinly  be  saved  ef  it  be  within  mortal  power ;  but  a 
boat  can't  live  in  that  sea,  and  the  canoe  and  the 
paddle  must  do  it.     Henry,  I've  seed  ye  fetch  a  canoe 


THE  MAy  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  395 

tlirough  water  wild  enough  to  be  fearful  to  most  men, 
and  ye  have  followed  me  down  rapids  that  even  a 
Huron  would  falter  to  shoot ;  and  ye  must  take  the 
starn  and  I  will  take  the  bow,  and  the  lad  shall  stay 
on  the  beach  here  while  you  and  me  make  the 
ventur'." 

"  But  I  want  to  go,  too,  John  Norton.  What  can  I 
do  if  I  stay  here  on  the  beach  ?  '* 

"  Lad,"  said  the  Trapper,  as  he  seized  his  paddle, 
and  lifted  the  bow  of  the  canoe,  while  Henry  lifted 
the  stern,  "  there  be  times  when  one  mortal  must  act 
while  another  must  wait ;  and  I  know  that  the  waitin' 
be  harder  than  the  doin' ;  and  I  know  ye  have  the 
harder  work,  but  ye  must  do  it.  But  ye  needn't 
stand  idle,  for  ye  can  gather  some  sticks  and  start  a 
fire  under  the  ledge  here,  and  make  the  flames  go 
high,  for  it  will  give  Henry  and  me  the  bearin's,  and 
mayhaps  it  will  help  us  greatly." 

"  I  will,  I  will,"  said  the  Lad.  "  I  will  make  the 
blaze  go  high,  John  Norton,  and  I  will  ask  God  to 
help  you  save  the  poor  man,  and  bring  you  and 
Henry  safe  back  to  the  shore." 

''  That's  right,  lad,  that's  right,"  said  the  Trapper. 
I  remember  yer  prayin'  on  Tomahawk  P'int,  and  I 
raally  think  it  was  an  act'al  help,  and  it  may  be  the 
Lord  will  hear  ve  ao:in.  But  be  sure  and  don't  forsrit 
to  put  in  some  'arnest  words  for  Crazy  John,  for  me 
and  Henry  can  take  care  of  ourselves.  But  ef  the  fool 
keeps  standin'  up  in  his  boat  as  he  was  when  the  flash 
showed  him,  he'll  need  some  help  to  steady  him,  or 


396  ADIROXDACK    TALES. 

he'll  lose  his  balance  for  sartin."  And,  even  as  he 
spoke,  the  Trapper  waded  out  into  the  lake  till  the 
proper  depth  was  reached,  and  then,  w4th  practised 
agility,  he  leapt  upward  and  lighted  on  his  knees 
in  the  bow  of  the  canoe,  giving,  at  the  instant  he 
leaped,  a  powerful  sweep  from  his  paddle,  which, 
assisted  as  it  was  by  the  push  and  spring  of  Herbert 
as  he  jumped  to  his  place  in  the  stern,  sent  the  light 
vessel  far  out  amid  the  agitated  waiter.  And  so  the 
boat  disappeared  in  the  gloom. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  perilous  venture.  Even  the  Old 
Trapper  had  not  realized  the  height  and  velocity  of 
the  billows  until  the  canoe  had  fairly  entered  into 
them.  The  water  foamed  and  hissed  around  the 
boat;  it  heaved  it  up  as  with  the  power  of  mighty 
hands,  and  then  let  it  down  with  a  splash  into  the 
hollow  troughs,  wdth  the  suddenness  that  made  the 
frail  thing  quiver  through  its  slender  frame.  It  flung 
its  spray  into  the  eyes  of  those  struggling  at  either 
end  until  they  were  almost  blinded.  It  strove  to 
w^rench  it  from  its  course,  and  turn  it  round  and  roll 
it  over,  but  the  skill  and  strength  of  those  who  knelt 
at  either  end  still  held  it  to  its  course,  and  forced  it 
up  against  the  pressure  of  the  gale  and  the  sweeping 
force  of  the  weaves,  at  an  astonishing  speed.  Half 
the  distance  had  been  traversed  before  a  flash  of 
liohtnino'  came,  and  w^hen  it  came  ao;ain  the  boat  and 
the  man  standinof  in  it  flashed  into  sioht. 

"  The  lad  must  be  prayin'  in  'arnest,"  the  Trapper 
shouted  back   to    Henry,    "  and   the    Lord    must    be 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  397 

sartinly  helpiii'  Crazy  John,  or  he  never  could  keep 
his  footin'  in  a  rollin'  boat,  jumpin'  and  pitchin'  as 
his  be  doin'.  Heave  her  starn  up,  boy  !  quick  !  heave 
her  up.  There's  a  big  un  comin',  and  she'd  never  lift 
to  it  e£  we  struck  it  head  on.  Heave  her  up  and  take 
her  a  little  sidlin',  or  the  lad  will  sartinly  have  three 
to  pray  for  instead  of  one." 

Herbert  could  just  make  out  the  words  of  the 
Trapper  as  they  were  borne  to  him  on  the  rush  of  the 
wind,  and  he  obeyed  to  the  letter.  He  put  every 
ounce  of  strength  in  his  frame  into  his  stroke,  and 
the  little  vessel  responded  to  its  pressure.  It  met  the 
wave  a  little  quartering,  and,  balanced  at  precisely 
the  proper  angle  as  it  was  by  the  Trapper,  it  climbed 
up  the  side  of  the  huge  billow  laboriously  but  safely, 
and  shot  down  into  the  farther  recess  with  a  velocity 
as  if  it  were  conscious  of  the  danger  from  which  it 
was  flying- 

"  Ye  did  that  well,  boy,  ye  did  that  well.  It  was 
as  big  a  wave  as  I  ever  seed  a  canoe  lifted  over, 
and  ye  did  it  well.  We  must  be  eenamost  to  the 
boat  and  another  flash  will  show  us  ef  Crazy  John 
be  in  the  boat  or  —  " 

He  was  interrupted  by  a  vivid  and  prolonged 
blaze.  The  whole  heaven  kindled,  and  the  lake 
stood  forth  to  view  as  clear  as  at  noonday.  The  boat 
in  which  Crazy  John  had  been  so  recklessly  standing 
was  not  thirty  feet  away,  and  was  being  blown  for- 
ward by  the  winds  at  the  speed  of  an  arrow.  But 
no  man  was  in  it  \  and  the  quick  eye  of  the  Trapper, 


398  ADIEOXDACK  TALES. 

with  lightning  glance,  was  searching  the  hollow  of 
the  waves  and  running  along  their  crests,  seeking 
the  head  of  a  man.  He  saw  it !  For  out  of  the 
lake,  as  if  rising  from  a  depth,  shot  the  head  and 
shoulders  of  Crazy  John.  His  face  was  still  upturned 
and  his  hands  were  lifted  high. 

"  Sheer  to  the  left !  "  yelled  the  Trapper.  "  Sharp 
to  the  left,  and  sweep  her  round  !  " 

It  was  done.  The  canoe  swooped  to  the  left, 
glanced  upward  on  the  swell  of  the  wave  and  shot 
into  the  opposite  trough  with  a  leap.  As  it  fell, 
the  blaze  of  the  lightning  died  out,  but  the  eye  of 
the  Trapper  had  measured  the  distance,  and  as  the 
canoe  dropped  into  the  hollow  of  the  sea  he  bowed 
himself  till  his  broad  breast  rested  on  the  prow,  and 
stooping  far  over,  drove  his  hand  into  the  water. 

The  fingers  of  the  Trapper  closed  on  the  long 
hair  of  Crazy  John,  and  in  an  instant  his  other 
hand  had  fastened  its  grasp  on  the  collar  of  his 
coat. 

"  Tip  her  over  to  the  left,  boy  !  "  called  the  Trap- 
per, "  tip  her  over  to  the  left.  He  isn't  as  big  as 
a  buck,  but  it'll  take  a  good  deal  of  purchase  to 
h'ist  him  over.  Down  with  her,  boy  !  for  here 
goes ! " 

The  feat  was  accomplished  handsomely.  The 
Old  Trapper,  with  the  exercise  of  gigantic  strength 
and  the  dexterity  of  a  practised  canoeman,  lifted  the 
poor  man  out  of  the  water  and  landed  him  full 
length  at  his  feet  5    and   in  such   a  way,  too,  as   to 


THE  MAX  WHO   DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  399 

scarcely  disturb  the  proper  balance  of  the  light  shell, 
which  was  now  heavily  loaded,  considering  the  vio- 
lence of  the  water  it  had  to  traverse  on  its  way  to 
the  shore. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

CRAZY    JOHN. 

"Now  see  that  noble  and  most  sovereign  reason 
Like  sweet  bells  jangled  out  of  tune  and  narsli."  —  Shakespeare. 

Whether  the  shock  with  which  he  struck  the 
bottom  o£  the  canoe  had  stunned  him,  or  whether 
he  had  fainted  from  exhaustion  incident  to  his  struof- 
gles  in  the  water,  our  friends  coukl  not  tell ;  but 
they  rejoiced  in  the  fact  that  the  man  whom  they 
had  saved  continued  to  lie  stretched  in  the  bottom  of 
the  canoe  perfectly  motionless.  For,  had  he  indulged 
in  any  "  antics,"  as  the  Old  Trapper  expressed  it,  it 
would  have  made  their  position  one  of  extreme  peril, 
and  as  it  was,  it  required  all  their  strength  and  skill 
to  bring  their  boat  to  shore. 

In  the  direction  they  were  now  going  the  wind  was 
dead  astern,  and  it  was  necessary  to  keep  the  canoe  in 
rapid  motion,  racing  along  on  the  top  of  a  wave  even 
with  its  own  velocity  lest  it  should  drop  into  the 
trough,  and  heavily  loaded  as  it  was,  be  overwhelmed 
by  the  succeeding  billow  before  it  could  lift.  The 
two  men,  therefore,  worked  for  their  lives.  The  fore- 
thought of  the  Old  Trapper  in  his  directions  to  the 
Lad  was  now  fully  vindicated.  The  flame  at  the  foot 
of  the  ledge  was  burning  strongly  and  clearly,  and 
through  the  spray  and  the  driving  mists  the  Trapper 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  401 

could  see  the  Lad  now  feeding  the  fire,  and  anon  kneel- 
ing on  the  sands.  The  poor  boy,  acting  in  harmony 
with,  and  under  the  impulse  of,  his  simple  but  sublime 
faith,  and  yet  obedient  to  the  directions  of  the  Trapper, 
was  thus  giving,  unconsciously,  a  practical  illustration 
of  the  true  Christian  conception  of  the  relation  wdiicli 
works  and  faith  mutually  hold  to  each  other.  And 
well  would  it  be  for  many  of  us,  who  deem  ourselves 
learned  and  wdse,  if  we  could  thus  unite  in  our  con- 
duct the  two  great  co-ordinate  doctrines  of  the  Chris- 
tian scheme. 

"  The  lad  has  the  right  idee  of  it,"  said  the  Trap- 
per, soliloquizing ;  "  yis,  the  lad  may  not  be  over- 
knowin',  but  he  has  the  right  idee  of  it.  The  fire 
alone  don't  seem  quite  enough,  and  the  prayin'  alone 
wouldn't  help  me  and  Henry  a  bit,  but  ye  jine  the 
two  and  make  the  wood  support  the  prayin'  and  the 
prayin'  sort  o'  help  out  the  wood,  and  it  sartinly 
comes  nigh  the  Lord's  idee  of  it,  as  I  conceit." 

In  a  moment  the  canoe  had  draw^n  niofh  the  shore, 
and  the  Lad,  running  out  into  the  water,  assisted 
eaoerlv  to  lift  it  to  the  beach. 

"  We've  saved  him,  lad  !  "  said  the  old  man. 

"  I  knew  you  w^ould  save  him,  John  Norton,  for  I 
asked  God  to  save  him ;  and  he  has  said,  '  Ask  -  and  - 
ye  -  shall  -  receive,'  and  I  asked  him  to  give  us  Crazy 
John  in  safety,  and  I  never  asked  God  to  do  anything 
yet  that  he  didn't  do." 

"  I  guess  ye  be  more  reasonable  in  yer  askin',  then, 
than  some  of  the  missioners  be  in  their  prayin',  lad ; 


402  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

for  the  last  time  I  heerd  one  in  the  settlements  he 
spent  more'n  twenty  minntes  in  prayin',  and  he  asked 
more'n  a  hunderd  things  of  the  Lord,  and  half  of 
em'  at  least,  to  my  sartin  knowledge,  wasn't  anyway 
reasonable  ;  for  he  didn't  confine  himself  to  the  p'ints 
of  the  ease.  And  there's  nothin'  like  stickin'  to  the 
main  p'ints  of  the  case  when  ye  be  talkin'  to  the 
Lord,  as  I  conceit." 

While  he  had  been  saying  this  lie  had  lifted  Crazy 
John  in  his  arms  and  borne  him  to  the  fire,  and  at 
once  proceeded  with  his  efforts  to  restore  him  to  con- 
sciousness. In  this  he  was  soon  successful,  and  in  a 
short  time  the  unfortunate  being  who  had  been  so 
nigh  death  was  sitting  with  his  back  propped  against 
the  ledge,  gazing  with  eyes  in  whose  look  conscious- 
ness was  revealed,  it  is  true,  but  whose  consciousness 
was  that  of  one  whose  reason  had  been  overturned, 
and  whose  faculties  were  exposed  to  the  deceptions 
which  insanity  practises  on  its  wretched  victims. 

A  strange  and  remarkable-looking  being  he  was,  as 
he  sat  with  his  back  against  the  ledge  in  the  bright 
glow  of  the  firelight.  His  countenance  was  cast  in  a 
noble  mould,  and  his  features  were  ahnost  faultless,  in 
the  clean  outline  of  their  nearly  classic  beauty.  Age, 
of  course,  had  cut  its  history  in  wrinkles  and  with- 
ered the  fullness  of  his  appearance,  but  his  fore- 
head was  broad  and  high,  and  the  front  ample  in 
its  curvature,  providing  residence  for  a  brain  of 
unusual  size.  His  nose  was  straight  and  thin,  with 
round,  curved    nostrils ;  his  mouth  generous  but  not 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  403 

excessive,  while  a  beard  of  snowy  whiteness  covered 
all  the  lower  part  of  his  face  and  lay  in  waving 
folds  upon  his  breast.  His  hair  was  long ;  the 
orowth  of  years,  —  none  knew  how  many,  —  and 
whiter  if  possible  than  his  beard.  His  eyebrows 
were  as  white  as  snow,  abundant,  and  straight  in 
their  lines.  The  brow  itself  beetled  outward.  The 
sockets  of  the  eves  Avere  larcre,  and  the  orbs  them- 
selves  which  glowed  within  the  recess  w^ere  deep, 
black,  and  lustrous.  The  first  impression  that  these 
strange  eyes  made  upon  one  w^as  of  their  mildness ; 
a  mildness  born  of  suffering,  perhaps,  as  if  the  sad- 
ness of  years  and  loss  had  softened,  if  it  had  not 
utterly  extinguished,  the  gleam  of  their  original  fire. 
But  a  close  observer  could  not  fail  to  note  that  within 
and  behind  their  clear,  steady  gaze  was  a  wayering 
light  that  came  and  flitted,  and  came  again,  as  if 
nature  would  thus  express  the  unsteadiness  and  insecu- 
rity of  the  disturbed  reason,  which  formerly  held  fixed 
possession  of  her  throne. 

^'  Well,  Crazy  John,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  how  do 
ye  feel?" 

"  I  am  not  crazy,"  he  returned,  "  you  are  crazy, 
and  everybody  else  is  crazy.  I  am  the  only  man  that 
isn't  crazy  in  the  world." 

"  I  shouldn't  wonder  ef  ye  was  about  half-rioht  in 
yer  idees  on  that  p'int,"  returned  the  Trapper,  "  for 
T  sartinly  think  most  men  be  a  leetle  cracked  ;  and 
it  may  be  I  have  a  kink  or  two  in  me  somewhere  ;  and 
ef  everybody  was  jest  like  ye,  I  conceit  there  wouldn't 


404  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

be  a  crazy  man  in  the  world.  But  what  was  ye  out 
on  the  water  to-night  for?  And  why  didn't  ye  stay 
in  yer  shanty  or  find  a  safe  spot  as  we  did  when  the 
storm  come  down  ?  It  was  a  bit  of  sheer  foolishness, 
Crazy  John,  for  a  mortal  man  to  resk  his  life  as  ye 
did  on  the  lake  to-night.  " 

'^  She  called  me,"  return  ad  the  other,  while  his 
eyes  darkened  their  glow,  "  she  told  me  to  come, 
and  I  went,  and  1  found  her.  Found  her  in  the 
air  and  the  wave  and  the  wind." 

"  Found  her  ?  "  said  the  Lad,  "  whom  did  you  find 
in  the  air  and  the  wind  and  the  wave,  Crazy  John  ?  " 

"  Whom  did  I  find  ! "  exclaimed  the  other,  "  I 
found  the  woman  I  love,  and  the  spirit  I  worship ; 
the  spirit  of  whiten.^ss  and  sweetness  and  beautiful 
grace  that  I  loved  long  ago  —  long  ago  —  long  ago  ! 
The  spirit  that's  mine,  and  will  be  mine  when  the 
waves  ceas3  to  roll  and  the  winds  cease  to  blow, 
and  the  air  is  unbreathed  by  the  nostrils  of  men." 

And  as  he  said  this  the  paleness  of  his  face  flushed 
and  his  eyes  glowed  like  coals,  as  if  they  were  indeed 
but  the  windows  of  his  soul,  and  his  soul  was  aglow 
with  the  fervor  of  a  deathless  hope  and  ardent 
desire. 

"  Wh}^  did  she  call  you  out  into  the  lake,"  said  the 
Lad,  "  when  the  waves  and  the  winds  were  so  strong  ? 
I  don't  think  she  ouoht  to  do  that." 

"  Young  man !  "  exclaimed  the  other,  "  what  cares 
a  spirit  for  wind  and  weaves,  the  movements  of  air 
and    water?      Spirits    have    power    in    the    air,    and 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KNOW  MUCH.  405 

the  sea  and  the  winds  do  their  bidding.  I  have 
seen  her  in  the  sun  wlien  he  rose  over  the  mountain, 
and  in  the  moon  when  she  deepened  the  bhie  of 
the  sky  wdth  her  beams ;  and  the  winds  have  borne 
me  her  songs  from  away,  far  away,  far  away,  and 
the  waves  turn  to  white  at  the  touch  of  her  feet 
when  she  walks  on  their  crests.  My  spirit  is  queen 
of  the  sea,  and  the  waves  are  her  slaves.  Old  Trap- 
per !  "  he  shouted,  as  he  rose  to  his  feet,  took  a  step 
forward,  and  stretched  out  his  hand  with  a  gesture 
as  grand  as  Paul  must  have  used  in  his  appeal 
to  Agrippa,  while  his  face  flamed  with  excitement 
and  his  form  trembled,  "  Old  Trapper,  you  have 
lived  till  your  head  is  wdiitening  and  wisdom  abides 
on  your  lips  —  believest  thou  there  are  spirits?" 

"  Sartinly,  sartinly,  I  do,"  returned  the  Old  Trap- 
per, "  even  the  Hurons  believe  that,  and  it  w^ould 
be  a  shame  for  a  white  man  to  believe  less  than 
an  Injun,  'specially  a  miserable  dog  of  a  Huron. 
Yis,  I  sartinly  believe  there  be  sperits." 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  them,  John  Norton  ? "  ex- 
claimed the  other. 

"  I  can't  say  for  sartin  I  ever  did.  Crazy  John.  I 
can't  say  for  sartin  I  ever  did  see  a  sperit,  but  I'll 
confess  that  more'n  once,  when  standin'  by  the  grave 
of  a  comrade,  or  on  the  mound  of  the  trenches  where 
we  buried  the  dead  arter  a  scrimmage,  I  have  felt 
that  the  sperits  of  the  dead  was  around  me." 

"  They  were  there  !  they  were  there  !  "  exclaimed 
the    other,    in   a   voice    lifted    almost    to    a   scream. 


406  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

"  They  were  there ;  but  you  were  blinded.  You 
have  eyes  and  see  not,  ears  and  hear  not.  But  my 
eyes  see,  and  my  ears  hear,  for  I  am  not  of  the 
earth.  I  died  when  she  died,  but  I  am  condemned 
to  stay  on  the  earth  for  my  sins  ! — for  my  sins  !  — 
FOR  MY  SINS  ! —  condemned  to  stay  till  my  sins  be 
washed  away,  and  I  am  made  white,  then  I  shall 
go  —  then  I  shall  (jo  —  then  —  " 

A  clap  of  thunder,  heavy  and  prolonged,  here 
suddenly  broke  in  on  his  speech.  The  beach 
trembled  under  their  feet  as  the  peal  rolled  in 
awful  detonations  through  the  sky.  The  look  of 
wild  excitement  faded  out  of  the  countenance  of 
the  singular  being.  He  bowed  his  head  as  with 
solemn  reverence,  and  when  the  last  heavy  rever- 
beration died  away,  he  lifted  his  face,  every  line 
of  which  was  settled  in  awe,  toward  the  cloud, 
and  said  :  — 

"  Thunder  away,  Ahnighty  God  !  I  love  to  hear 
Thy  voice  shake  the  workl.  Thy  power  is  above 
all  powers,  and  the  spirits  themselves  veil  their  faces 
in  front  of  the  glory  of  Thy  throne  !  Almighty  God, 
I  love  the  roll  of  Thy  thunder,  for  site  has  told  me 
that  Thy  love  is  as  great  as  Thy  power." 

The  solemn  earnestness  with  which  he  pronounced 
these  words ;  the  suggestiveness  of  his  gesture  as  he 
stood  with  outstretched  hands,  and  face  lifted  toward 
the  clouds ;  the  roar  of  waves,  rising  from  amid  the 
gloom ;  the  grand  and  awful  surroundings  made  by 
the  night  and  the  storm,  —  combined  to   produce  an 


THE  MAy  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  407 

impression  on  the  three  men,  two  of  whom  were 
looking  at  him  with  wonder,  and  the  third  with 
curious  interest,  that  woukl  have  been  difficult  to 
explain. 

'^  Come,  come.  Crazy  John,"  said  the  Trapper,  at 
length,  "  ye  he  sartinly  a  good  deal  stirred  up 
to-night,  and  ye'd  better  sort  o'  settle  down.  Ye 
won't  be  any  wiser  for  lookin'  at  that  cloud  so 
arnestly,  for  there's  nothing  in  it  for  a  mortal  to  see." 

"  See  !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  wheeled  suddenly 
around,  till  he  stood  face  to  face  with  the  Trapper, 
"  my  eyes  have  the  vision  of  sight  that  sees  the 
end  from  the  beginning.  I  see  back  and  ahead, 
below  and  above,  and  far  ofP.  I  am  a  prophet  of 
God.  I  am  the  angel  whose  head  is  as  wool  and 
whose  eyes  are  aflame ;  and  nothing  that  has  been, 
and  nothing  that  is,  and  nothing  that  shall  be, 
is  hidden  from  me.  For  I  look,  and  I  see,  and 
I  know  what  the  years  will  bring  —  will  bring  —  will 
brino' !  " 

"  It  may  be  as  you  say.  Crazy  John,"  said  the 
Trapper,  "  but  I  sartinly  doubt  ef  ye  know  what 
ye  be  talkin'  about,  for  ye  be  but  a  man,  and  I've 
heerd  that  the  ways  of  the  Lord  be  past  findin'  out. 
But  ef  ye  can  see  ahead,  and  know,  as  ye  say,  what 
be  to  come,  ye  may  be  able  to  tell  us  what  be  to 
happen  to  us  'twixt  this  and  the  time  when  we  come 
to  the  edge  of  the  Great  Clearin'." 

"  John  Norton,"  said  the  other,  as  he  turned  his 
blazing  orbs  upon  him  with  a  steadiness  and  intensity 


408  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

of  gaze  from  which  a  man  of  less  nerve  and  coohiess 
would  have  shrunk,  '^  John  Norton,  you  have  lived  in 
the  woods  and  you  will  die  in  the  woods.  I  see  a 
grave  under  the  pines,  and  a  man  at  the  grave,  and  a 
dog." 

"  I'm  glad  it's  under  the  pines,  Crazy  John.  Yis, 
I'm  glad  it's  under  the  pines,  ef  the  grave  be  for  me. 
Ye  may  be  right  as  to  the  dog,  for  dogs  be  short 
lived,  and  '  Rover '  be  aged,  and  it's  reasonable  to 
think  that  I'll  outlive  him  ;  but  '  Sport '  be  a  little 
more  than  a  pup  yit,  and  it's  nateral  to  think  that 
he'll  outlive  me,  for  the  days  of  a  mortal  be  fixed, 
and  I  conceit  that  I've  come  nigh  the  eend  of  my 
days  on  the  'arth.  But  ye  be  sartinly  wrong  ef  ve 
see  but  one  man,  for  Henry  and  the  lad  be  both 
young,  and  I  know  that  both  the  boys  will  be  at 
the  grave  when  they  make  it  for  me  under  the 
pines." 

"  The  youth  you  call  Henry  is  the  one  who  stands 
here,"  responded  the  other,  as  he  turned  his  glowing 
eyes  towards  Herbert,  "  and  he  it  is  I  see  by  the 
grave  ;  but  the  lad  is  not  there ;  for  he  has  a  grave 
of  his  own  that  I  see,  and  his  mound  wdll  be  flat 
when  your  mound  is  fashioned,  John  Norton." 

"  Where  is  my  grave.  Crazy  John  ? "  asked  the 
Lad,  "  where  is  my  grave  ?  " 

"  Your  grave  is  by  the  sea,  young  man.  By  the 
deep,  deep  sea ;  the  shining,  the  rolling,  the  far' 
reaching  sea.  It  is  a  grave  among  many.  It's  a 
grave  with  a  grave  :   the  grave  of  one  gone  on  before. 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  409 

Young  man,  Crazy  John  sees  your  grave  amid  many, 
and  'tis  made  with  a  grave  by  the  long-reaching, 
far-rolling,  deep-sounding  sea." 

"  \Yhere  is  my  grave.  Crazy  John  ? "  asked  Her- 
bert, who,  leaning  on  his  paddle,  had  been  curiously 
watching  the  singular  being,  "  where  is  my  grave  ? 
and  who  is  there  by  it?  and  where  is  it  to  be 
made  ?  " 

"  Your  grave  is  not  a  grave,"  was  the  answer. 
And  instead  of  looking  at  Herbert  he  turned  him- 
self toward  the  lake ;  and,  with  his  back  to  the 
young  man,  and  lifted  head  gazing  steadfastly  out 
into  the  gloom,  he  continued :  "  Your  grave  is  not 
a  grave.  It  is  not  under  the  pines  ;  it  is  not  amid 
graves ;  it  is  not  in  the  earth.  Men  will  not  find 
it ;  above  it  women  will  not  weep.  It  rises  and  sinks, 
it  moves  and  it  rolls.  It's  a  grave  without  stone, 
without  name,  without  spot  — "  and  the  strange 
being  started  along  the  beach,  walking  ankle-deep 
in  the  froth  and  the  water,  muttering  to  himself, 
"  It  rises  and  sinks,  it  moves  and  it  rolls.  A  grave 
without  name,  without  stone,  without  spot." 

"  Will  he  come  back  ? "  asked  Herbert,  speaking 
to  the  Trapper. 

"  Sartinly,  sartinly,"  returned  the  old  man,  "  the 
fit  will  leave  him  pritty  soon.  I've  knowed  Crazy 
John  for  forty  year  off  and  on,  and  usually  he's 
quiet  enough  ;  but  a  storm  distarbs  him,  and  thunder 
makes  him  wild ;  but  the  storm  be  dyin'  out,  and 
in  half  an  hour  he'll  be  as  calm  as  the  lake.     It's 


410  ADIBONDACK   TALES. 

no  use  to  f oiler  him,  for  when  the.  fit  be  on  him 
ye  can't  manage  him,  but  when  he's  cooled  down 
a  leetle  he'll  come  back  as  quiet  as  a  child  and  be 
nateral-like." 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

A   PROPHECY. 

"  The  voice  sounds  like  a  prophet's  words."  —  Halleck. 

•'  Portia  ;  Why,  knowest  thou  any  harm's  intended  ? 
Soothsayer  :  None  that  I  know  will  be,  much  that  I  fear  may  chance." 

—  Shakespeare. 

As  the  Trapper  had  predicted,  the  storm  was 
passing  away.  The  body  of  it  had  ah-eady  got 
beyond  the  eastern  mountains,  and  the  thunder  had 
died  away  into  murmurs.  The  lightning  blazed 
dimly,  and  cast  only  transient  illuminations  through 
the  farther  darkness.  Where  the  clouds  had  been 
was  now  but  a  thin  vapory  film,  and  even  this  grew 
thinner  and  thinner  until  the  great  stars  broke 
through  it  with  their  luminance,  and  glowed  wdth 
ample  splendor  in  a  sky  which  the  tempest  had 
washed.  The  waves  sank  with  the  winds.  They 
died  together  like  cause  and  effect,  and  in  a  brief 
time  the  lake,  which  but  so  recently  had  been  tossing 
with  violent  agitations,  stretched  from  the  beach  at 
their  feet  to  its  southern  extremity  with  a  surface 
so  level  that  scarcely  a  ripple  stirred  its  smooth 
expanse  with  its  motion.  In  it  the  sky  found  a 
mirror,  and  the  stars  overhead  multiplied  themselves 
in  its  depths. 

"It's  sartinly  a  marvel,"  said  the  Trapper,  speak- 


412  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

ing  to  his  two  companions,  "  how  quick  natur'  can 
change  her  look.  Her  moods  be  hke  the  moods  of 
man.  Come,  lad,"  he  continued,  as  he  threw  some 
fresh  branches  into  the  fire,  "the  njorn  will  soon  be 
here,  and  the  sands  under  the  ledge  be  dry ;  come, 
onkiver  yer  fiddle  and  play  us  a  tune.  I  conceit  that 
Crazy  John  will  jine  us  when  he  hears  ye  playin',  for 
I've  heerd  him  play  himself,  and  the  music  will  calm 
him." 

So  saying,  the  old  man  seated  himself  under  the 
projection  of  the  ledge  by  the  side  of  Herbert,  wdio 
had  already  stretched  himself  in  a  reclining  attitude. 

The  Lad  took  the  violin  from  its  case,  and  after 
carefully  examining  it  to  see  that  it  had  received  no 
injury,  he  placed  the  bow  upon  the  strings  and  began 
to  move  it  lightly  and  waveringly,  as  if  feeling  for  an 
initial  note.  In  a  moment  his  mind  reached  the  de- 
cision. Perhaps  some  tuneful  suggestion  or  melodi- 
ous memory  had  been  communicated  to  or  stirred 
within  his  mind  by  the  stray  fugitive  chords,  for  his 
face  suddenly  lighted,  his  hand  steadied  itself,  and  the 
bow,  with  the  proper  pressure  upon  it,  began  its  pro- 
gress over  the  strings,  true  and  even  as  hand  of  man 
might  make  it. 

The  notes  sounded  clear  and  high.  They  rose  into 
the  air,  moved  out  above  the  lake,  and  stole  along 
the  listening  shore.  They  were  followed  in  soft  and 
measured  succession  by  others  equally  sweet,  clear, 
and  fine.  The  sounds  were  as  pure  as  the  cleansed  air 
into  which  they  rose.     The  stars,  shining  with  steady, 


THE  MAN  WHO  DJDX'T  KXOW  MVCH.  413 

self-contained  luminance,  were  no  more  mild  and 
soothing  to  the  eye  than  were  the  easy,  full-rounded 
notes  that  the  instrument  yielded  to  the  ear. 

It  was  a  hymn  of  peace,  —  a  hymn  such  as  angels 
mio-ht  sing  to  a  soul  that  had  passed  through  stormy 
passages,  been  rudely  buffeted,  and  borne  much  during 
its  earthly  life,  when  it  had  been  lifted  above  the  earth, 
and  with  its  warfare  ended  was  being  ministered  unto 
by  those  who  long  had  known  the  infinite  peace.  No 
words  can  describe  the  exceeding  softness  of  the 
strains.  Limited  as  the  poor  boy  was  in  the  powers 
that  made  the  average  man  potential  and  efficient,  his 
one  great  gift  stood  out  resplendent.  Within  his 
soul  the  gift  or  genius  of  music  found  its  home.  His 
tongue  might  falter  in  its  attempt  to  master  the  form 
of  verbal  speech,  but  music  had  bestowed  upon  him 
a  divine  expression.  No  one  that  heard  him  play 
could  ever  doubt  it.  In  quality  it  was  a  revelation  of 
what  inarticulate  expression  might  be.  To-night  his 
mood  was  of  the  finest.  Sitting  under  the  projection 
of  the  ledge,  Avith  the  lake,  in  which  the  stars  were 
mirrored,  before  him,  the  blue  vault  bright  with  its 
golden  sj)lendor  overhead,  the  sombre  woods  around, 
and  the  great,  solemn,  and,  as  it  were,  expectant 
silence  soliciting  the  presence  of  his  pure  soul  through 
the  one  medium  that  God  had  given  him  to  pour  forth 
the  innocence,  the  longing  and  the  faith  of  his  beauti- 
ful spirit,  he  played  with  a  delicacy  of  toiK'li  and  an 
evenness  of  pressure  that  were  marvellous.  The  Trap- 
per lay  leaning  against  the "  rock  with  his  eyes  closed. 


414  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

Herbert  sat  watching  the  Lad's  lighted  countenance 
with  eyes  that  searched  in  vain  for  some  exj^lanation 
of  the  boy's  wonderful  gift.  He  had  heard  the  mas- 
ters of  the  world  play,  and  his  own  ear  did  not  lack 
culture,  but  inwardly  he  was  constrained  to  confess 
that  never  had  he  heard  an  instrument  yield  forth 
such  melody  as  his  simple-minded,  awkwardly-formed 
companion,  with  long  and  easy-going  motions  of  the 
bow,  was  sending  forth  into  the  receptive  air. 

He  might  have  played  five  minutes  when  Herbert's 
quick  ear  caught  the  sound  of  a  slow,  soft  step  steal- 
ing along  the  sand ;  and  in  a  moment,  out  of  the  star- 
lighted  dusk,  the  form  of  Crazy  John  appeared.  He 
stole  into  the  circle  of  the  light  so  quietly  that  the 
Lad  did  not  know  of  his  approach,  but  Herbert 
watched  him  closely  and  noted  the  change  that  had 
come  over  him.  The  wildness  had  left  his  counte- 
nance ;  the  gleam  had  faded  from  his  eye  ;  his  muscles 
had  relaxed  their  tension,  and  his  whole  face  had 
settled  to  repose.  He  sank  softly  down  into  the  sand, 
and  gazed  upon  the  Lad  with  a  look  such  as  a  mortal, 
at  his  entrance  into  heaven,  might  contemplate  the 
first  anofelic  beino-  he  chanced  to  meet.  And  as  the 
Lad  played  on,  as  the  sweet  consoling  notes  flowed 
forth,  they  carried  peace  and  consolation  to  the  bosom 
of  the  unfortunate  creature.  His  eyes  overflowed,  the 
great  tears  stole  down  his  cheeks  and  fell  into  the 
white  volume  of  his  beard,  but  his  gaze  remained 
steadfastly  fixed  upon  the  boy's  face  and  the  look  of 
worshipping  awe  remained  as  steadfastly  on  his  own. 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  415 

At  last  the  Lad  paused ;  he  laid  the  violm  upon  his 
lap,  Avith  his  bow  across  it. 

"  Well,  Crazy  John,"  said  the  Trapper,  as  he 
opened  his  eyes,  "  what  do  you  think  of  that  ?  " 

^'  Boy  !  "  he  exclaimed,  without  answering-  the  ques- 
tion of  the  Trapper,  and  addressing  himself  to  the 
Lad,  "  Boy,  thou  art  a  spirit !  Thy  soul  is  not  of  this 
earth.  The  gift  of  God  is  in  thee.  Thou  art  one  of 
the  chosen  sent  out  to  minister  unto  the  saints.  The 
Lord  hath  lent  thee  to  the  earth  ;  but  only  for  a  year, 
a  day,  and  an  hour.  Thou  shalt  not  stay  among 
men  ;  thou  shalt  go  hence,  but  not  till  thou  hast  done 
a  great  deed ;  and  those  that  laughed  at  thee  shall 
know  that  with  thy  weakness  God  hath  mingled 
strength,  and  made  thy  lacking  to  be  greater  than 
their  fulness.  They  call  me  '  Crazy  John,'  and  they 
call  me  so  because  my  ways  are  not  their  ways,  and 
my  thoughts  are  not  their  thoughts.  I  am  not  crazy 
save  when  the  body  vexes  me  and  the  forces  of  the 
earth  that  are  demoniacal  possess  me.  But  I  do  not 
stay  in  my  body  always ;  I  leave  it  and  come  back  to 
it.  I  have  left  it  for  hours ;  yes,  for  a  day  and  a 
night,  and  a  night  and  a  day ;  left  and  came  back  to 
it.  And  I  see  things  when  my  eyes  are  stony ;  I  feel 
when  my  body  is  stiff ;  I  go  where  there  is  no  time, 
and  all  things  that  have  been,  and  all  things  that  are, 
and  all  things  that  shall  be,  stand  out.  And  I  have 
seen  thee,  boy,  before  we  met,  and  one  with  thee  that 
is  not  ^4th  thee  now." 

"  Who  was  it,  Crazy  John?  "  asked  the  Lad,  "  who 


416  ADIROXDACK  TALES. 

was  it  that  was  with  me  ?  "  and  the  poor  boy  actually 
panted  with  excitement,  as  through  his  comprehension 
dimly  stole  a  startling  thought. 

"  It  was  one  thou  hast  seen  and  shalt  see ;  but  not 
yet.  I  shall  see  her  hrst.  You  shall  come  after,  and 
I  see  the  way  of  your  coming  and  the  hour  !  " 

"  Come,  come,  Crazy  John,  the  storm  has  gone  by, 
and  why  don't  ye  settle  back  to  yer  nateral  sense? 
Ye'll  skeer  the  lad  out  of  his  wits  with  yer  nonsensi- 
cal talkin'." 

"John  Norton  !  "  exclaimed  the  other,  "  thou  w^ast 
born  for  the  body  and  the  earth.  Thou  dwellest  in 
the  body  and  art  earthy.  Thou  canst  not  understand 
the  converse  of  spirits." 

"  I'm  glad  to  see  ye  come  down  to  facts.  Crazy 
John  ;  yis,  I'm  glad  to  see  ye  come  down  to  facts. 
Of  course  I  dwell  in  my  body,  and  a  mighty  pleasant 
place  it's  been  to  dwell  in  for  these  threescore  year. 
And  I  can't  say  that  I  ever  expect  to  git  into  a  better 
one ;  for  the  Lord  made  it  for  me,  and  I  must  say  he 
put  it  together  jediciously,  as  the  time  it  has  stood 
and  the  sarvices  it  has  done,  proves.  And  as  for 
sperits,  I  don't  know  nothin'  about  'em ;  that  is,  I'm 
not  sartin  enough  about  any  thin'  to  sight  on  it. 
And  Henry  will  tell  ye  I'm  always  ready  to  draw  at  a 
ventur'  wdien  meat  is  scarce  or  there  is  the  least 
chance  of  fur ;  and  ef  ye  are  really  sot  on  talkin'  any 
more  about  sperits.  Crazy  John,  you  and  me  will  jest 
go  one  side  out  of  hearin'  of  the  boys,  and  ef  I  can 
find  a  comfortable  spot  where  the  sand  isn't  too  wet 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  417 

and  the  seat  lias  a  back-piece  to  it,  jou  and  me  will 
have  a  great  time  talkin'  about  sperits.  That  is,  I'll 
listen  and  ye  shall  talk,  and  that  be  the  best  way,  as  I 
conceit,  for  a  sensible  man  to  talk  with  another  about 
sperits.  For  ef  he  doesn't  say  any  thin'  w4se,  he 
sartinly  won't  say  anythin'  foolish,  and  that's  a  raal 
vartue  in  a  counsel.  But  don't  sheer  the  lad  any 
more  with  talk  of  his  goin'." 

"  Scared !  Why  should  the  lad  be  scared  at 
thought  of  his  going  ?  I  will  not  talk  more,  John 
Norton,  for  you  are  ignorant  and  unbelieving.  You 
are  wise  in  your  order,  but  you  belong  to  another 
order  and  are  fixed  in  another  sphere.  But  the  lad 
shall  go  —  he  shall  go  !  —  he  shall  go  !  on  a  stormy 
night  and  amid  fire;  and  you  and  Henry  shall  see 
him,  and  many  shall  see ;  —  see  the  fire !  see  the 
flame  !  and  you  shall  feel  the  touch  of  the  fire,  John 
Norton,  and  Henry  shall  be  scorched  with  the  flame. 
For  you  shall  be  wdth  the  lad  'mid  the  fire,  and  you 
w^ould  go  with  him,  but  your  time  is  not  yet,  for  you 
must  sleep  'neath  the  pines  —  'neath  the  pines  — 
'neath  the  pines.  Old  Trapper  ;  and  Henry's  grave  must 
be  a  grave  without  stone,  without  name,  without  spot. 
But  why  should  I  tell  you  these  things !  Shall  not 
the  Lord  reveal  them  in  His  time  ?  Let's  to  sleep  ! 
let's  to  sleep  !     You  sleep  while  I  leave  my  body." 

"  That's  sartinly  good  counsel,"  said  the  Trapper, 
"for  the  morn  be  comin'  and  w^e  sartinly  have 
been  stirred  up  a  good  deal  to-night ;  and  nothin' 
settles   a  man  arter  he's  been  riled   like  sleep.     Ye'd 


418  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

better  not  git  yer  feet  quite  so  near  them  brands, 
Crazy  John,  ef  yer  sperit  be  raaliy  goin'  out  of  yer 
body  for  a  leetle  tantrum  in  the  air  ;  ef  ye  do  ye  ain't 
hkely  to  find  more'n  half  yerself  when  ye  come  back, 
and  the  most  vakiable  half  at  that,  —  for  I  count 
that  the  legs  and  feet  be  the  best  half  of  a  man 
ef  he  live  in  the  woods.  So  crook  up  yer  knees  a 
leetle.  Crazy  John,  or  ye'll  git  singed  for  sartin." 
With  this  parting  admonition  the  Old  Trapper 
stretched  his  huge  frame  upon  the  sand  alongside  of 
his  companions  and  in  a  few  moments  the  long,  heavy 
breathing  of  the  four  gave  evidence  that  sleep  had 
locked  their  senses  in  profound  repose. 

vP  vr»  ^  ^  ^  ^  ^ 

The  summer  was  past,  and  autumn  had  come.  The 
adventures  with  which  our  three  friends  had  met  we 
do  not  purpose  to  narrate  in  this  volume.  It  chanced 
that  the  man  whose  story  we  are  telling  was  not 
the  most  prominent  actor  in  the  sad  and  startling 
experiences  the  summer  had  brought  to  them.  At 
another  time  we  may  give  to  our  readers  the  history 
of  an  even  more  singular  and  unfortunate  being  than 
"  The  Man  Who  Didn't  Know  Much  "—  but  of  the 
latter  we  must  write  now,  and  the  story  that  has 
detained  us  so  lonof  draws  to  its  close. 

Herbert,  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  from  the 
woods,  had  succeeded  in  persuading  the  Old  Trapper 
to  accompany  him  to  his  city  home.  With  high 
anticipations  they  had  struck  eastward  from  the  Rac- 
quette  until  they  came  to   the  upper  branches  of  the 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH  419 

Hudson,  down  which  they  proceeded  until  they  came 
to  Albany.  There  they  left  their  light  boat  and 
continued  their  journey  in  one  of  the  river  steamers. 
Arriving  at  Ni  "v  York  they  crossed  the  city  without 
delay,  and  took  passage  eastward  on  one  of  the  steam- 
boats that  traversed  the  Sound.  At  this  critical 
point  of  their  journey  our  pen  resumes  its  narration. 


CHAPTER     XIX. 


THE    CATASTROPHE. 

With  clashing  wheel,  and  lifting  keel, 
And  smoking  torch  on  high, 

When  winds  are  loud,  and  billows  reel. 
She  thunders  foaming  by." 


Oliver  Wendell  Holmes. 


It  was  a  stormy  night.  The  wind  w^as  blowing 
a  gale ;  not  a  star  was  visible.  The  wind  came  from 
the  south-east ;  raw.  and  damp  with  briny  dampness. 
The  force  of  a  thousand  leagues  of  unimpeded  vio- 
lence was  in  it.  It  was  full  of  lusty  strength,  of 
unchecked  might,  rageful  and  fierce.  The  centre 
of  the  storm  movement  was  in  the  far  Atlantic ;  but, 
as  it  swept  round  on  its  invisible  axis  in  fearful 
revolutions,  Long  Island  split  the  periphery  of  its 
power  like  a  wedge,  and  sheared  off  a  mighty  column, 
which  poured  itself  into  and  down  the  Sound,  sweeping 
it  from  end  to  end.  The  waves  ran  high  ;  they  rose 
out  of  the  darkness,  vast  volumes  of  on-rolling  water, 
and  rushed  against  the  steamer's  prow  as  if  they 
would  heel  her  over  and  drive  her  downward  to 
destruction. 

Only  a  few  of  her  full  complement  of  passengers 
were  on  deck.  Some  w^ere  in  the  main  saloon,  gath- 
ered in  knots  for  comfort.  Others  sat  moodily  apart, 
communing  with  their  fears ;  while  not  a  few  were  in 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  421 

their  state-rooms,  or  clown  below  in  their  berths,  sick 
or  thoroughly  frightened.  The  air  was  full  of  fore- 
boding. The  jirevalent  feeling  was  that  of  alarm. 
The  plunge  of  the  vessel  as  she  dived  downward 
into  the  hollow  of  the  sea ;  the  tremendous  shocks 
that  shook  her  from  stem  to  stern  ;  the  quiver- 
ing that  convulsed  her  huge  frame,  and  tried  her 
timbers  in  all  their  joints  as  the  great  sea  struck  her ; 
the  groaning  of  the  machinery,  and  now  and  then 
the  rush  of  waters  overhead  as  some  sea  swept  over 
her  bulwarks,.  —  revealed  to  those  that  were  within 
the  saloon,  or  lay  stretched  in  their  berths,  that  the 
gale  was  at  its  height. 

A  few  of  the  passengers  were  on  deck  ;  some  were 
sailors,  and  from  habit  kept  an  exposed  position  ; 
others,  while  not  seamen,  were  sufficiently  familiar 
with  voyaging,  and  of  such  a  temperament,  that  a 
position  on  deck  and  the  sight  of  a  storm  were  more 
congenial  to  them  than  the  protected  parlors.  Among 
these  latter  our  three  friends  could  be  numbered.  It 
was  not  in  accordance  with  the  temperaments  or  habits 
of  Herbert  and  the  Trapper  to  stay  between  decks 
when  such  a  storm  was  raging,  and  the  Lad  could  not 
remain  separate  from  his  companions.  Indeed,  his 
behavior  and  remarks  revealed  the  fact  that  he  was 
familiar  with  the  different  portions  of  the  vessel,  and 
with  the  proper  management  of  such  a  craft  in  a 
storm.  He  evidently  had  knowledge  of  the  machin- 
ery, knew  the  name  and  use  of  all  the  equipments, 
and  showed  no  inconsiderable  acquaintance  with  the 


422  ADIBONDACK   TALES. 

force  and  action  of  wind  and  waves,  and  even  with 
the  reefs  and  islands  of  the  coast  along  wdiich  the 
course  of  the  vessel  was  now  directed. 

Herbert,  surprised  at  this  knowledge,  had  ques- 
tioned him  in  conversation  concernino;  the  oriirin  of 
it,  and  elicited  from  him  many  facts  of  his  early  life ; 
among  others,  that  he  was  born  on  the  shore  of  the 
Sound,  and  had  often  sailed  the  very  waters  through 
which  the  steamer  was  plunging.  He  knew  the  name 
and  position  of  the  beacon  lights  they  passed,  of  the 
various  headlands ;  and  pointed  out  the  location  and 
the  name  of  this  or  that  island  which  was  hidden 
in  the  gloom ;  estimating,  in  a  manner  that  showed  the 
accuracy  of  his  memory  and  his  familiarity  with  the 
coast,  the  probable  distance  these  islands  were  from 
them,  as  the  boat  careered  along. 

"  I  tell  ye,"  said  the  Trapper,  as  the  three  stood 
close  to  the  starboard  rail,  holding  on  to  an  iron 
rod  for  support,  "  I  tell  ye,  Henry,"  he  shouted, 
"this  be  a  wdld  un.  I  was  on  a  government  trans- 
port in  the  centre  of  old  Ontario  once  when  it 
looked  mighty  squally  for  all  of  us ;  but  it  sar- 
tinly  didn't  blow  harder  than  it  does  to-night.  I 
remember  how  the  skipper  looked  and  acted,  and 
what  he  did,  as  ef  it  was  but  yesterday." 

"  What  did  he  do  ?  "  asked  the  Lad. 

"  He  put  his  ship  about,  lad,"  responded  the  Trap- 
per, "  afore  tlie  waves  got  half  as  high  as  this,  or 
the  wind  half  as  strong.  He  put  his  ship  about, 
and  I  remember  the  drenchin'  we  all   got  while  she 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  423 

was  swingin'  round  ;  but  when  he  got  her  starn  on 
how  she  did  go  !  " 

"  Where  did  she  fetch  up  ?  "  asked  Herbert. 

"  Fetch  up  ?  "  rephed  the  old  man.  "  She  didn't 
fetch  up.  There  was  no  fetch  up  to  her  that  night. 
She  went  hke  a  young  buck  in  his  fust  chase  ;  and 
when  the  sun  riz  and  the  winds  settled  a  leetle  he 
scooted  her  in  atween  two  big  islands  ;  and  the  skip- 
per said,  —  I  conceit  he  may  have  stretched  it  a  leetle, 
—  the  skipper  said  that  the  old  tub  had  gone  two 
hunderd  mile  that  night.  And  I  was  jest  thinkin' 
that  ef  I  was  skipper  of  this  craft  I'd  'bout  ship,  shut 
off  steam,  as  ye  call  it,  and  let  her  drive  to'ard  York." 

"  It's  not  a  very  easy  thing  to  'bout  ship  in  a  sea 
like  this,  John  Norton,"  said  Herbert.  "  Could  it  be 
done,  lad  ?  " 

'^  I  think  perhaps  it  might  be  done,"  said  the  lad  ; 
"  for  the  engines  work  well,  and  she  is  a  good  boat 
to  mind  her  helm  ;  but  it  don't  blow  hard  enough  yet 
for  the  captain  to  risk  running  on  to  the  coast  this 
side  of  New  London.  That's  a  famous  harbor,  and  if 
it  blows  any  harder  I  guess  the  ca2)tain  will  run  in 
there." 

"  Lord-a-massy,  lad !  "  exclaimed  the  Old  Trapper, 
excitedly,  '^  ye  talk  downright  foolishness.  It  can't 
blow  any  harder.     The  air  would  bust  ef  it  did." 

"  Yes,  it  can  blow  harder,  John  Norton,"  returned 
the  Lad.  "  I  have  seen  it  blow  harder  than  this  ;  and 
I  don't  think  it  blows  as  hard  as  it  will  by  and  by." 

''  Ef  it  blows  any  harder,"  screamed  the  Trapper, 


424  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

"  we'll  all  go  to  the  bottom,  for  any  man  knows  that 
them  leetle  boats  strung  up  there  couldn't  live  out  in 
them  waves  a  minit.  Lord !  what  a  thump  that 
was  !  It  shook  her  up  as  a  maul  does  a  wedge.  I 
don't  marvel  that  the  wimmen  folks  be  a  leetle 
screechy.  I  hope  the  poor  creturs  will  git  safe  to 
shore." 

"  I  have  had  a  feeling,"  said  the  Lad,  half-speaking 
to  himself,  "  ever  since  we  got  aboard  that  something 
was  going  to  happen  to-night.  I  don't  know  why  it 
should  be  so ;  but  I  keep  seeing  the  face  of  Crazy 
John  out  there  in  the  darkness." 

"  Come,  come,  lad,  don't  ye  git  skeery,"  said  the 
Old  Trapper,  "Crazy  John's  face  isn't  anywhere  nigh^ 
us ;  for  Henry  and  you  know  jest  where  it  lies ;  and 
ye  know  that  we  put  five  good  feet  of  sile  on  top  of  it, 
to  say  nothin'  of  the  boughs  and  grasses,  and  the 
wild  rose-bushes  ye  throwed  in." 

For  several  minutes  nothing  was  said,  then  Herbert 
continued  :  — 

"  I  don't  see  how  anything  can  happen,  although  it 
is  a  very  severe  gale ;  for  the  ship  is  a  strong  one  and 
she  is  being  well  handled ;  and  the  lad  says  that 
there's  a  good  harbor  twenty  miles  ahead,  into  which 
the  captain  can  run  if  he  is  compelled  to.  I  don't  see 
how  anything  can  happen,  —  do  you,  John  Norton  ?  " 

"  Not  as  I  can  see,"  returned  the  Trapper,  "  but  I 
can't  say  that  I'm  used  to  jest  this  kind  of  boatin', 
and  I  conceit  my  jedgment  isn't  wutli  much.  Now  ef 
I  was  on  the  Racquette  in  a  squall,  with  a  birch  under 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  425 

me,  and  a  good  paddle,  and  wasn't  too  heavily  loaded, 
I  could  tell  ye  jest  about  what  the  prospect  w^as ;  but 
this  kind  of  boatin'  makes  a  man  of  my  natur'  and 
habits  but  leetle  better  than  a  squaw,  for  all  there  be 
to  do  be  to  jest  hang  on.  No,  I  sartinly  don't  know 
much  about  this  kind  of  boatin',  and  my  jedgment 
isn't  wuth  a  cent." 

"  I  don't  know  what  we  should  do  if  anything 
should  happen,"  said  Herbert.  "  The  clerk  told  me 
there  were  six  hundred  passengers  aboard,  and  at  the 
tables  to-night  I  thought  I  never  had  seen  so  many 
women  and  children  in  one  boat  at  a  time.  I  don't 
know  what  would  become  of  them,  or  any  of  us  for 
that  matter,  in  a  sea  like  this  if  —  " 


"  Fire  !  " 

No  one  could  say  whence  the  cry  came,  nor,  at  the 
moment,  whether  it  was  the  voice  of  man  or  woman 
that  sent  it  out ;  but  from  whatever  throat  it  came,  it 
came  projected  with  all  the  energy  of  terror.  It  filled 
the  great  saloon,  —  sank  to  the  lower  deck,  —  pene- 
trated the  state  rooms  and  berths,  —  rose  into  the 
pilot-house,  —  and  was  blown  by  the  gusts  into  the 
farther  darkness  in  quivering  fragments  as  if  the 
winds  in  their  fierce  gladness  had  S3ized  it,  torn  it  in 
pieces,  and  flung  it  aside  to  be  ready  for  its  successor. 
Nor  had  they  long  to  wait.  It  came  upon  the  instant, 
rising  wild  and  high  —  piercingly  shrill  as  mortal  fear 
could  make  it :  — 

"Fire!     Fire!     F-i-r-e!" 

The  effect  of  such  a  cry  on  shipboard  at  night,  in 


426  ADIItOXDACK   TALES. 

the  midst  of  such  a  gale,  on  a  crowded  steamer,  can 
never  be  known  to  those  who  bav  e  not  heard  it ;  nor 
communicated  to  those  who  quietly  sit  in  safety  and  at 
ease  reading  its  description  on  the  printed  page.  In 
the  great  saloon,  when  the  awful  sound  swept  through 
it,  men  engaged  in  conversation  stopped  —  looked 
with  startled  interrogation  into  each  other's  eyes, 
with  faces  that  on  the  instant  turned  white  as  ashes. 
Women,  with  a  sudden  gesture,  placed  their  hands 
above  their  hearts  as  if  they  liad  received  a  sudden 
stab.  Some  continued  sitting  as  they  had  been  as  if 
stiffened  to  the  position.  Others,  with  their  hands 
still  on  their  hearts,  sank  back  in  a  dead  swoon. 
Children  stopped  their  play  and  stood  staring  at  their 
elders.  The  sick  in  their  bertlis  stilled  their  groans 
and  lay  straiglit  on  their  cots  as  if  dead,  listening  with 
pent  breath. 

On  deck  the  effect  was  the  same.  The  sound  had 
the  power  in  it  to  drown  all  other  sounds.  Those 
that  lieard  it  rise,  heard  nothing  else.  It  captured 
their  senses  and  held  them  concentrated  to  itself. 
The  roar  and  splash  of  the  mighty  waves  —  the 
whistling,  screaming  wind  —  made  for  an  instant  no 
impression  on  the  senses.  The  one  terrible  sound 
dominated  all  other  noises  ;  and  those  who  lieard  the 
dreadful  scream  were,  for  a  moment,  conscious  of 
nothing  else. 

This  was  the  first  effect. 

But  when  the  cry  was  repeated,  when  the  awful 
scream  rose  the  second  time,  was  reiterated  and  pro- 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  427 

longed  as  mortal  fear  only  can  prolong  a  cry,  fright 
took  possession  of  all.  Men  tumbled  from  their 
berths,  striking  the  floor  with  a  bound,  shouting. 
The  state-room  doors  burst  open  and  women  ran  out 
screaming.  Those  who  were  below  rushed  wildly 
into  the  main  saloon,  trampling  on  each  other  in 
their  headlong  course.  The  uproar  was  fearful.  Men 
called  for  their  wives.  Women  screamed  for  their 
Jiusbands.  Mothers  sobbed  and  clutched  their  chil- 
dren to  their  breasts.  Calls  and  shouts,  the  rush  of 
hurrying  feet,  shrieks  and  prayers  and  curses,  filled 
the  air. 

On  deck  all  was  hurry  and  confusion  incident  to 
such  an  emergency.  Hose  were  being  fitted,  pumps 
got  in  motion,  the  crew  was  being  told  off  into  com- 
panies, and  the  proper  officers  put  over  them.  The 
captain  was  a  brave  man,  and  skilful ;  the  officers 
supported  him  nobly,  and  most  of  the  crew  obeyed 
the  voice  of  discipline.  The  places  of  those  who 
faltered  were  more  than  made  good  by  volunteers, 
amid  whom  the  Trapper  and  the  Lad  were  efficiently 
prominent.  Brave  men  and  braver  women  were 
among  the  passengers,  who  exerted  themselves  to  still 
the  tumult.  The  captain  himself  went  into  the  main 
saloon  on  his  way  to  the  engineer's  room,  and  ad- 
dressed the  passengers  in  brave  and  hopeful  words. 

He  said  they  were  in  danger,  —  that  he  did  not 
deny ;  —  but  that  he  had  been  in  great  danger  before, 
and  came  out  all  right ;  that  the  ship  was  on  fire  he 
admitted )  but  he  stated  that  the  pumps  were  working 


428  ADIBOXDACK    TALES. 

well,  and,  if  they  coul  1  not  subdue  the  flames,  he 
hoped  to  keep  them  under  until  he  could  make 
harbor. 

He  told  them  much  depended  on  themselves.  He 
said,  "  If  you  people  will  only  remain  quiet ;  if  you 
will  only  keep  ord^r ;  if  you  will  stay  where  you  are, 
and  not  risk  your  lives  and  overwhelm  the  crew  by 
rushing  on  deck  ]  I  sincerely  believe  that  Avitli  the 
help  of  God  we  shall  bring  you  through,  and  land 
every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  safety." 

These  words  had  great  effect.  The  uproar  sub- 
sided. A  remarkable  calmness  fell  on  the  great 
throng.  Most  remained  standing,  but  kept  their 
places.  Some  seated  themselves,  and  assumed  a  calm- 
ness they  did  not  inwardly  feel.  Many  knelt  in 
prayer,  and  breathed  in  silence  their  petition  to  the 
irreat  Beins:  whose  hand  controls  wave  and  flame  alike. 

The  captain  passed  on,  and  entered  the  engineer's 
room ;  counselled  a  moment  with  the  chief,  and  then, 
with  three  carpenters,  began  to  explore  the  forward 
hold  of  the  vessel,  to  find  the  location  and  the  extent 
of  the  nre.  It  took  but  a  brief  search  to  discover 
that  the  whole  forward  part  of  the  ship  beneath  was 
a  mass  of  flames.  The  freight  was  of  combustible 
material,  and  thoroughly  ignited.  The  captain  looked 
at  the  dreadful  spectacle  for  an  instant,  while  the  lines 
of  his  face  grew  absolutely  rigid,  and  said :  — 

"  My  God  !     The  shi2J  is  a  furnace  !  " 

He  stood  another  instant  in  profound  thought, 
during  which  his  quick  and  fearless  mind  had  consid- 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  429 

ered  all  the  contingencies,  and  without  a  word  to  the 
three  men  that  were  with  him,  he  started  for  the  deck 
and  the  pilot-house.  He  summoned  the  chief  engin- 
eer and  his  officers  around  him,  and  stated  what  he 
had  discovered,  —  laid  the  Avhole  subject  in  a  few 
terse  words  before  them,  and  said  :  — 

"  Gentlemen,  in  twenty  minutes  the  saloons  will  be 
like  an  oven,  and  the  windows  of  the  pilot-house  will 
be  cracking.     Have  you  anything  to  suggest  ?  " 

The  first  officer,  a  sailor  from  boyhood,  whose  head 
and  beard  were  already  gray,  said  promptly  :  — 

"  Captain,  we  must  beach  her."  The  others  looked 
their  assent. 

"  It's  our  only  course,"  said  the  captain.  "  Pilot," 
said  he,  turning  to  the  man,  "  can  you  beach  her  ?  " 
The  other  deliberated  a  moment,  and  said :  — 

"Captain,  I  am  ready  to  take  any  responsibility 
that  a  man  in  my  position  should  take.  I  am  ready 
to  execute  any  order  you  give  ;  but  I  will  not  take 
the  responsibility  of  running  this  steamer,  with  six 
hundred  passengers  aboard,  on  to  a  coast  that  I  know 
nothing  of  beyond  the  knowledge  I  have  of  the 
lights,  the  reefs,  and  the  harbors.  Tt  would  be  mere 
chance  if  I  sfot  her  within  half  a  mile  of  the  shore." 

The  captain  actually  groaned.  He  saw  and  ad- 
mitted the  force  of  the  pilot's  assertion.  For  a 
moment  not  a  word  was  spoken,  while  the  ship  went 
tearing  on  through  the  water,  and  the  premonitions  of 
rising  tumult  came  to  their  ears  from  below,  showing 
that  the  passengers  were  already  on   the  move.     He 


430  ADIBOXDACK    TALES. 

looked  an  instant  into  each  face  before  him,  Hfted  his 
hand  and  wiped  the  great  drops  of  sweat  from  his 
forehead,  and  said  :  — 

"  Gentlemen,  wdiat  shall  w^e  do  ?  I  feel  the  floor 
under  my  feet  heating  !  The  passengers  are  moving 
out  of  the  saloon !  What  we  do  must  b3  done 
quickly !  We  are  overloaded !  Our  boats  wouldn't 
accommodate  half,  and  besides,  a  boat  couldn't  live  in 
that  sea.      What  shall  we  clof  " 

Not  a  man  spoke.  They  felt  as  if  the  horror  of 
death  were  shutting  down  around  them.  They  were 
brave,  they  were  calm.  Tliey  showed  no  sign  of 
fear.  They  could  meet  death  as  men  should  meet  it ; 
but  they  could  not  tell  how  to  escape  it.  Suddenly 
the  captain's  face  lighted,  with  a  light  which  was  the 
refl action  of  a  hope,  of  a  conjecture,  of  a  possibility. 
He  darted  out  of  the  pilot-house,  swung  himself  down 
among  the  crew,  who  were  busy  with  the  pumps  and 
the  hose,  and  with  a  concentration  of  voice  that  pene- 
trated the  roar  of  thi  storm  like  a  knife,  shouted  :  — 

"Is  there  a  man  here  ivho  I'noios  this  coast  F  " 

When  the  ca})tain  dropped  among  them  the  men 
stopped  their  work  and  stood  staring  at  him.  Only 
the  Old  Trapper  and  Herbert,  each  of  whom  stood 
above  the  forward  hatch,  hose  in  hand,  directing  the 
streams  that  the  pumps  sent  through  the  swelling 
tubes  downward,  kept  their  position.  The  captain 
waited  a  moment,  while  the  light  faded  from  his 
countenance  as  no  response  came,  and  then,  as  if  in 
very  despair,  he  shouted  ;  — 


THE  MAy  WHO  DWX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  431 

"  /  say,  is  there  a  man  here  who  hioios  this 
coast  ?     For  God's  sake  some  of  you  speak  !  " 

Ao'ain  no  reply  came,  and  lie  was  upon  the  point  of 
turning'  aAvay,  ^yllen  the  Lad,  who  had  been  kneeling 
under  the  protection  of  the  bulwark,  trying  to  stop 
a  rent  which  the  pressure  had  made  in  the  hose  that 
the  Old  Trapper  was  tending,  rose  out  of  the  shadow 
and  approaching  the  captain  said  :  — 

'^  Yes,  sir.     I  know  the  coast." 

"  Who  are  you,"  said  the  captain,  incredulously, 
"  that  claim  such  knowledge  ?  Are  you  not  the 
youth  I  saw  wdth  the  old  hunter  at  the  table  to-night  ? 
How  should  you,  born  in  the  interior,  know  anything 
about  this  coast  ?  " 

"  I  was  not  born  in  the  woods,"  responded  the  Lad, 
"  I  was  born  within  ten  miles  of  where  we  are,  and  I 
know^  every  rock  and  reef  and  point,  for  I  have  fished 
on  them  all ;  and  I  know  every  beach,  for  I  used  to 
play  on  them  when  a  boy." 

The  captain  looked  incredulous.  He  had  associated 
him  with  the  hunter  and  the  wdlderness,  and  it  seemed 
incredible  that  he  should  have  been  born  where  he 
said  he  was  born,  and  that  he  should  be  on  that  boat 
that  night,  and  be  discovered  by  the  merest  accident 
at  the  very  instant  of  supreme  peril. 

"  Cap'n,"  said  the  Old  Trapper,  who  had  drawn 
nigh,  "  Cap'n,  whatever  the  lad  says  ye  can  sartinly 
take  for  gospel  truth.  x\nd  ef  he  says  he  was  born 
here,  he  was  born  here ;  and  ef  he  says  he  knows  this 
shore,  he  does  know  it ;  and  ye  can  rely  on  him  to  do 


432  ADIROXDACK  TALES. 

what  he  says  he  can  do  ;  for  his  words  be  truth,  and 
his  acts  be  like  his  words." 

''  Young  man,"  said  the  captain,  "  have  you  any 
other  friend  on  board  beside  this  hunter  ?  " 

"  Sartin  he  has,"  said  the  old  man,  answering  the 
question  for  the  Lad,  "there  be  Henry  there,  who 
has  boated  with  him  and  camped  with  him  off  and 
on,  and  the  lad  saved  his  life  once,  and  that's  a 
sarvice  that  a  man  isn't  apt  to  forgit.  Yis,  cap'n, 
Henry  and  me  be  the  lad's  friends." 

"  Call  him  here,"  said  the  captain,  hoarsely,  "  and 
then  follow  me  to  the  pilot-house." 

It  was  with  the  greatest  ett'ort  that  the  four  were 
able  to  reach  the  point  designated,  for  the  gale  was 
blowino'  with  increased  violence,  and  the  iron  rods 
and  the  wire  ropes  they  grasped  to  steady  them- 
selves were  already  hot ;  and  even  as  they  reached 
the  upper  deck  the  flames  broke  fiercely  out  from 
the  hatchways  and  the  fire  began  to  run  in  waver- 
inof  lines  alonsr  the  inner  timbers  of  the  bulwarks 
and  the  ornamental  edgings  of  the  upper  deck. 

"  I  have  called  you  here,"  said  the  captain,  "  to 
ask  you  in  the  presence  of  my  officers  if  there  is 
any  safe  spot,  any  cove  or  bay,  into  which  the 
steamer  can  be  run,  along  the  coast  abreast  of    us." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  beach  her,  captain  ? "  asked 
the  Lad. 

"  Yes,"  he  responded,  '^  it  is  our  only  chance.  We 
must  beach  her.     Can  you  do  it  ?  " 

"  I  can,"  said  the  Lad,  simply. 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  433 

"You  c«;?  /  "  exclaimed  the  captain,  "  do  you  mean 
to  say,  young  man,  that  you  can  beach  this  steamer  ? 
Gentlemen,"  he  continued,  as  he  turned  to  his  officers, 
"  if  this  young  man  can  do  what  he  says,  every  soul 
can  be  saved  !  " 

"I  can  do  just  what  I  tell  you  I  can  do,"  said  the 
Lad,  "  that  is,  if  the  engines  work,  and  we  can  fetch 
her  around  in  this  sea,  and  the  flames  don't  get  ahead 
of  us  ;  for  there  is  a  little  bay,  nearly  abreast  of  us, 
and  the  w^ater  is  deep  in  it,  and  the  beach  is  free  from 
rocks  and  stones,  and  I  can  tell  the  pilot  just  wdiere 
to  steer  to  get  into  it." 

"  But,"  said  the  captain,  and  he  spoke  with  hurried 
utterance,  as  one  wdio  feels  there  isn't  a  moment  to 
lose,  "  you  ought  to  know,  and  your  friends  here 
ought  to  know,  the  danger  you  run,  for  the  flames 
will  break  out  in  a  few  moments.  You  can  hear 
them  roaring  under  deck  already.  The  flames  will 
break  out  in  a  moment,  I  say  ;  this  pilot-house  wdll 
be  on  fire,  and  he  wdio  stands  beside  it  will  stand 
the  centre  of  flames,  and  it  will  be  through  God's 
mercy  if  he  comes  out  with  his  life.  I  feel  it  to 
be  my  solemn  duty  to  state  these  things  to  you, 
young  man,  and  in  the  presence  of  your  friends 
here  who  are  interested  in  your  life.  Now,  know- 
ing your  danger,  knowing  that  you  will  probably 
lose  your  life,  I  ask  you  again,  will  you  pilot  tliis 
steamer  to  that  beach  ?  There  are  six  hundred  souls 
on  board,  and  if  you  do  it  you  will  be  their  saviour. 
Will  you  do  it  ?  " 


434  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

The  Lad's  face  never  ehano'ed  a  muscle.  The  lio'ht 
in  his  eyes  may  possibly  have  darkened  a  little,  and 
the  Old  Trapper  noted  that  his  long,  awkward  fingers 
shut  into  then-  palms  with  a  slightly  tightened  grip, 
but  his  voice  was  quiet  as  ever,  as  he  said :  — 

"  I  will  help  you  beach  her,  captain." 

The  captain  still  hesitated  a  moment.  He  knew 
himself  that  the  Lad  w^as  going  to  his  death,  — 
going  with  a  quietness  that  could  have  only  igno- 
rance or  finest  heroism  for  its  cause.  It  was  not 
to  be  wondered  at  that,  accepting  as  he  was  the 
sacrifice  of  a  life,  he  ^vas  touched.  He  gazed  at 
the  singular  being  before  him,  observed  the  simple 
guilelessness  of  his  countL'nance,  and,  dashing  a  tear 
from  his  eye,  he  turned  to  the  Trapper  and  said :  — 

"  Old  man,  this  boy  is  your  companion,  and  you 
love  him  ?  " 

"  Yis,  the  lad  and  me  have  slept  together,  and 
we've  eaten  from  tlie  same  bark,  and  he  and  me  have 
done  leetle  sarvices  for  each  other  that  men  in  the 
woods  don't  forgit.     I  love  the  lad." 

"  God  forbid  !  "  exclaimed  the  ca23tain,  "  God  forbid 
that  I  personally  take  the  responsibility  of  the  sacri- 
fice,—  for  that's  just  what  it  is,  old  man.  Ought  the 
boy  to  stay  ?  " 

"  Sartin,  sartin,"  said  the  Trapper ;  "  ef  the  lad 
can  save  the  wimmin  folks  and  the  leetle  uns,  not  to 
speak  of  the  men,  by  stayin'  here,  then  he  sartinly 
ought  to  stay,  even  ef  he  starts  on  his  last  trail  from 
the  deck  of  a  ship  instead  of  from  the  shadder  of  the 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  435 

pine ;  for  death  never  comes  too  quick  to  one  who 
meets  it  at  the  post  of  duty,  and  it  never  comes  slow 
enough  to  one  wdio  shirks.  Yis,  let  the  lad  stay 
where  he  be,  and  an  old  man  who  has  faced  death  on 
many  a  field  where  buUits  was  thick  will  stand  by  his 
side,  and  the  Lord  of  marcy  shall  do  with  us  as  he 
will.  I  should  liked  to  have  seed  the  pups  agin ; 
but  the  hunter's  God  will  take  care  of  the  hunter's 
dogs." 

While  the  conversation  had  been  carried  on,  the 
officers  of  the  steamer  had  made  the  arrano^ements 
necessary  to  steer  the  craft  from  the  stern ;  for  the 
pilot-house  was  already  so  hot  as  to  make  it  unsafe  for 
the  four  men  stationed  at  the  wheel  to  remain  in  it 
longer.  The  ropes  and  blocks  had  been  adjusted,  the 
purchase  tested,  and  the  steamer  was  already  being 
directed  from  behind.  The  captain  still  stood  by  the 
side  of  the  Lad,  trumpet  in  hand,  ready  to  give  the 
orders  to  veer  her  round.- 

"  Young  man,"  said  the  captain,  "  you  are  pilot 
now.  When  shall  we  swino^  her  about  ?  It's  a  rouo  h 
sea ;  but  the  flames  give  us  no  choice." 

The  Lad  looked  steadfastly  a  moment  at  the  beacon 
they  had  passed,  asked  the  captain  a  question  as  to 
her  course,  and  then  said  :  — 

"  We  are  passing  the  cove  !  We  mustn't  go  a  rod 
farther  !     Quick  !     Swing  her  round  !  " 

The  captain  lifted  the  trumpet  to  his  lips,  and  in 
tones  that  rang  strong  and  clear  above  the  roar  of  the 
storm  and  of  the  flame,  shouted,  "  Hard  a-port  with 


436  ADIBONDACK  TALES. 

your  helm  !  Hard  a-j)ort,  I  tell  you  !  Jam  her  down 
for  your  lives  I  " 

The  men  in  control  of  the  helm  obeyed  with  an 
energy  born  of  the  peril  of  the  moment.  The  mighty 
fabric  swayed  for  a  moment,  but  tore  on  as  if  unwill- 
ing to  yield.  But  the  next  instant  the  immense  pres- 
sure of  the  helm  hard  a-port  began  to  tell,  and  the 
monstrous  bulk  swung  slowly  about,  rolled  downward 
into  the  trough  of  the  sea  as  if  she  would  never  rise, 
reeled  over  as  she  met  the  mighty  Avave  square  amid- 
ship  till  her  larboard  rail  lay  deep  in  the  hissing  water, 
struggled  up,  righted  herself  laboriously  ;  and  as  she 
straightened  her  course  with  the  gale  square  astern, 
and  with  her  steam  gauge  standing  at  seventy-five, 
shot  towards  the  shore  like  an  arrow  from  the  bow. 

"  Cap'n,"  said  the  Trapper,  as  he  lowered  the  trum- 
pet from  his  lips,  "  give  us  the  instrerment,  and  do  ye 
run  back  there  and  keep  the  poor  creturs  from  throwin' 
'emselves  overboard,  —  for  they  be  gittin'  wild.  I 
can  talk  through  the  horn  as  well  as  ye  can,  —  and 
the  lad  will  tell  me  the  words." 

"  I  can't  leave  you,  old  man ;  it  shall  never  be  said 
that  Charles  Stearns  left  two  brave  men  to  die  on  his 
deck  while  he  saved  his  own  life." 

"  Cap'n,"  returned  the  Trapper,  ''  I  know  yer 
feelins  ;  for  I  see  the  stuff  ye  be  made  of ;  but  the 
Lord  app'ints  duty  unto  man,  and  it's  not  of  his 
choosin' ;  and  it's  yer  duty  to  go,  and  ourn  to  stay. 
Don't  ye  worry  about  us,  for  I  be  old  and  a  few  days 
more  or  less  on  the  'artli  don't  matter,  and  I  can  see 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'  T  KXOW  MUCH.  437 

by  the  look  in  the  lad's  face  that  he  be  ready.  So 
give  me  the  horn  and  go  where  ye  oughter  go,  and 
we'll  stay  where  we  oughter  stay." 

The  old  man  had  uttered  these  w^ords  Avith  such 
solemn  majesty,  and  the  truth  they  expressed  was  so 
evident,  that  the  captain  did  as  commanded.  He 
passed  the  trumpet  to  the  Trapper,  and  started  aft, 
where  his  presence  and  words  soon  communicated  new 
hope  to  the  terrified  throng.  In  a  few  moments  the 
shoutino;  and  screaminof  ceased,  and  not  a  sound  was 
heard  save  the  roar  of  the  wind  and  the  waves  and 
the  flames. 

"  Henry,"  said  the  Trapper,  "  it's  time  ye  be  goin', 
for  the  fire  be  gettin'  hot.  It's  not  likely  that  me  and 
the  lad  will  come  out  of  this ;  and  there  sartinly  isn't 
much  time  for  leave-takin'.  Ye'll  go,  I  know,  and 
get  the  pups,  and  the  rifle,  and  the  fiddle.  Ye  know 
wdiere  they  be.  And  ef  there  be  any  other  things  in 
the  cabin  ye  would  like,  remember  they  be  all  yours. 
This  sartinly  isn't  the  w^ay  I  thought  things  would 
eend ;  but  the  Lord  knows  when  to  call,  and  I  dare- 
say it's  best  as  it  be.  So,  boy,  jest  take  my  hand  a 
minit  and  we'll  say  good-by.  Ye  needn't  distarb  the 
lad,  for  he  is  busy.  No,  jest  give  me  yer  hand  for  a 
minit,  and  then  go.  Ye  be  faithful  and  true,  and 
may  yer  days  be  happy  and  yer  life  long  on  the  'arth." 

"  I  am  not  going,  John  Norton,"  said  the  young 
man. 

"It  be  w^ell  said,  boy,"  returned  the  Trapper. 
"  Yis,  it    be  well   said ;   or   w  ould    be    ef    things  was 


438  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

different.     But  things  be   as  they  be,   and  ye  must 

go." 

''  I  shall  not  go,"  said  Herbert. 

"Henry  !  "  exclaimed  the  old  man  earnestly,  "this 
is  downright  foolishness.  Ye  can't  help  us  by  stayin' ; 
and  two'U  be  enough  ef  wust  comes  to  wust." 

"  John  Norton,"  returned  the  young  man  solemnly, 
"  say  no  more.  I  shall  stay  with  you  and  the  lad. 
If  we  live,  we  will  all  live.  If  we  die,  we  will  die 
together,  for  I  will  not  leave  you." 

"  Be  it  as  ye  say  then,  boy ;  yis,  let  it  be  as  ye  say. 
This  be  no  time  for  makin'  words ;  and  I  can  under- 
stand yer  feelin's ;  and  it  may  be  ye  be  right.  The 
lad  and  we  met  at  the  pond  of  the  beavers,  and  it 
may  be  best  we  both  go  with  him  to  the  eend  of  the 
trail  and  see  how  it  eends." 

In  a  moment  the  old  man  said,  suddenly  :  "  Henry, 
ef  ye  could  git  one  of  them  water-pipes,  and  the 
pumps  are  still  a-goin',  it  may  be  ye  could  save  our 
lives.  But  be  keerful  where  ye  go,  boy,  for  it's  hot 
there  ahead." 

Lightning  is  scarce  quicker  than  was  the  motion  of 
Herbert,  as  he  darted  forward  into  the  smoke,  which 
was  rolling  up  in  great  volumes  from  the  front  part  of 
the  boat. 

By  this  time  the  forward  half  of  the  vessel  was 
almost  one  sheet  of  flame.  A  column  of  fire  rose  out 
of  the  forward  hatch  fifty  feet  into  the  air,  but  was 
mercifully  blown  onward  by  the  force  of  the  gale. 
From    this  the  Trapper    and  the    Lad   were  at    least 


THE  MAN  WHO  DIDN'T  KNOW  MUCH.  439 

safe,  but  the  flames  were  now  breakino-  over  ail 
restraint.  Tlie  decli  itself  was  beino-  burnt  throuo-h, 
and  sections  were  falling  into  the  hole.  The  stanch- 
ions and  timbers  of  the  bulwarks  were  already  in  full 
blaze..  The  outer  edges  of  the  upper  deck  w^ero 
girdled  with  fire.  The  roof  of  the  pilot-house  had 
begun  to  kindle.  The  flames  were  already  eating 
their  way  toward  the  stern  and  would  soon  be  in 
the  rear  of  the  two  men  who  were  standinof  half- 
hidden  in  smoke  at  a  point  which  would  soon  be 
the  very  centre  of  the  conflagration.  But  they  never 
flinched.  They  stood  in  the  exact  position  where  they 
were  when  Henry  left  them ;  the  Trapper  still  hold- 
ing the  trumpet  in  his  hand,  and  the  Lad  still  gazing 
steadfastly  ahead. 

"  Tell  them  to  port  two  points,"  said  the  Lad 
quietly. 

The  old  man  placed  the  trumpet  to  his  lips,  and 
through  the  brazen  tube  his  voice  poured  steady  and 
strong" :  — 

"  The  boy  says,  '  Tell  'em  to  port  two  p'ints.'  " 
The    vessel   swayed  suddenly   to  port ;  and  as   she 
leapt  away  the  Lad  said  :  — 

"  Tell  them  to  hold  her  steady  as  she  is." 

Again  the  old  man  lifted  his  trumpet,  and  called  : — 

"  The  boy  says,  '  Tell  'em  to  hold  her  steady  as  she 

IS. 

For  a  minute  not  a  word  was  spoken.  The  steamer 
tore  on  through  the  gloom,  lighting  her  path  with 
the  flames.     The  roof   of  the  pilot-house  dropped   in, 


440  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

and  the  smoke  and  cinders  hid  the  two  men  from  the 
sight  of  those  who,  with  prayers  on  their  lips  and  with 
agonized  faces,  were  gazing  at  them  from  behind. 

Suddenly  out  of  the  smoke  and  fire  came  the  tones 
of  the  trumpet :  — 

"The  lad  says,  '  Tell  'em  /  hear  the  surf  on  the 
heach.^  " 

Then  the  smoke  suddenly  lifted,  split  by  a  gust 
that  tore  through  the  air,  and  those  standing  behind 
saw  three  men  instead  of  two  standhig  on  the  deck. 
The  Trapper  and  the  Lad  still  at  their  station,  and 
thirty  feet  further  aft  Herbert,  hose  in  hand,  flood- 
ing with  water  the  blazing  deck  on  which  they  stood. 
But  what  could  the  power  of  man  do  against  the 
rush  of  such  flames?  The  young  man  did  his  best. 
With  hands  blistered  by  the  awful  heat  he  stood 
heroically  at  his  post ;  but  the  garments  of  the  Lad 
were  on  fire,  and  the  fur  on  the  Trapper's  cap  was 
burnt  to  the  skin. 

Suddenly  the  starboard  half  of  the  upper  deck 
fell  with  a  crash.  As  it  fell  those  behind  saw  the 
Lad  turn  to  the  Trapper,  —  saw  him  totter  —  saw 
him  steady  himself  —  saw  his  companion  catch  him 
by  the  arm  —  saw  the  old  liero,  wdth  the  sleeve  of  his 
coat,  that  was  itself  smoking,  wipe  the  cinders  from 
his  lips  as  he  lifted  the  trumpet  to  his  mouth ;  and 
out  of  the  black,  eddying  smoke,  as  it  swept  over 
the  three  and  hid  them  from  sight,  bellowed  the 
words  strong  as  trumpet  could  send  them :  — 


THE   MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  441 

^*  The  lad  says,  '  Tell  'em  /  see  the  surf  on  the 
beach  !     Hold  her  steady  as  she  is  !     God — " 

The  sentence  was  never  comjjleted.  The  flat 
bottom  of  the  vessel  tonched  the  sand  —  slid  alonor-  it 
—  and  was  driven  by  the  momentum  of  her  move- 
ment half  her  length  up  the  beach.  Then  she  rolled 
over  with  a  great  lurch  ;  her  smoke-stacks  went  down 
with  a  crash,  carrying  the  upper  deck  on  which  they 
stood  with  them,  and  the  three  men  sank  from  sight 
in  the  smoke  and  fire. 


CHAPTEK   XX. 


THE    LAD    GOES    HOME. 


"With  mast  and  lielm  and  pennon  fair, 
That  well  had  borne  their  part- 
But  tlie  nol)lest  thing  that  perished  there 
Was  that  yoxing  and  faithful  heart !  "—  Mrs.  Remans. 

It  was  evening  o£  the  second  clay  after  the  catas- 
trophe. Only  a  few  of  the  passengers  had  been  lost, 
and  the  majority  of  those  who  were  saved  had  gone 
on  their  several  ways ;  but  nearly  a  hundred  still 
tarried,  finding  accommodation  in  the  farmhouses 
along  the  shore  and  in  the  adjoining  village.  The 
noblest  of  motives  held  them  to  the  neighborhood, 
for  he  Avho  had  saved  them  w^as  dying. 

In  a  house  that  stood  fifty  rods  from  the  w^reck  lay 
the  Lad  stretched  on  a  bed.  His  body  was  in  a 
pitiable  condition  ;  for  the  flesh  of  it  in  spots  Avas 
burnt  to  the  bone.  With  him  was  the  Trapper  and 
Herbert.  The  head  of  the  former  Avas  bandaged,  and 
the  hands  of  the  latter  w^ere  packed.  They  had  been 
saved  by  the  merest  accident ;  if  that  wdiich  gives  or 
takes  life  can  be  so  called.  As  the  smoke-stacks  fell 
wdien  the  vessel  struck  the  beach,  the  section  of  the 
upper  deck  on  which  they  were  standing  had  been 
throw^n  upward  and  outward  ;  and  the  three  had  been 
actually  cast  with  the  burning  fragments  upon  the 
sand. 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH.  443 

The  Trapper  and  Herbert,  although  at  first 
stunned,  had  been  able  to  drag  themselves  and  the 
Lad,  who  was  insensible,  from  the  neighborhood  of 
the  flames.  They  speedily  recovered  their  strength; 
but  the  Lad  did  not  revive.  He  still  breathed ;  but 
th(;  life  within  his  poor  body  held  but  a  feeble  hold, 
and  at  every  breath  it  drew  seemed  on  the  point  of 
taking  its  final  departure.  His  senses  wandered,  as  if 
the  faculties  of  his  mind  shared  the  misfortune  of  his 
mortal  frame.  All  that  skill  could  do  had  been  done. 
But  human  skill  was  powerless  to  arrest  the  flight  of 
his  spirit  from  a  tenement  which  had  been  so  rudely 
assaulted  that  it  could  no  longer  furnish  the  life  that 
had  tabernacled  in  it  with  the  accommodation  it 
needed.  The  most  that  the  attendant  physician  could 
offer  in  the  way  of  comfort  to  the  two  men,  who  with 
stricken  hearts  watched  by  the  bedside,  was  contained 
in  the  assurance  that  he  was  wholly  free  from  suffer- 
ing ;  and  would  probably  revive,  and  enjoy  the  use  of 
his  senses  for  a  brief  period  before  he  passed  away. 
In  hope  of  this,  rather  than  from  any  expectation 
that  he  would  recover,  his  two  companions  kept  their 
steady  vigil  by  his  bed. 

It  was  evening,  and  outside  the  house  nature  dis- 
played the  quiet  and  solemn  splendor  of  an  autumnal 
night.  The  fiill-orbed  moon  hung  in  the  eastern  sky, 
and  her  mellow  radiance  bathed  the  rippling  surface 
of  the  shining  sea  in  floods  of  glistening  sheen.  The 
lio'ht  waves  broke  in  measured  murmurs  on  the  silent 
shore.     In  the  blue  sky  were  the  pale   stars,  and  the 


444  ADIEOXDACK    TALES. 

moon's  splendor  lay  softly  on  the  white  sands,  the 
rocks,  the  trees,  the  fences,  and  the  aftermath  of  the 
frosty  fields.  Snrely  nature  is  unconscious  of  human 
sufferinsr ;  or  else  has  in  her  frame  somethino^  of  that 
universal  consciousness  which  knows  that  out  of  the 
troubles  of  life  the  anxious  and  the  suffering  pass  at 
length  into  eternal  peace. 

Inside  the  house  lay  the  Lad,  —  his  head,  which 
fortunately  had  not  been  touched  by  the  fire,  sup- 
ported by  a  pillow  scarce  whiter  than  his  face,  his 
limbs  straightened  as  if  in  repose,  and  his  long,  awk- 
ward-looking hands  crossed  restfully  on  his  breast,  in 
which  the  pulse  of  life  beat  faintly.  Herbert  stood  at 
the  foot  of  the  bed,  and  the  Trapper  sat  at  its  side. 
Farther  away  stood  the  physician,  and  the  captain  of 
the  steamer,  who  had  shared  with  an  equal  constancy 
the  watch  of  those  whose  eyes  scarcely  wandered  from 
the  face  of  the  unfortunate  boy.  Thus  in  silence  the 
four  stood,  waiting  for  the  change  which  they  hoped 
and  prayed  might  come ;  that  out  of  it  they  might 
receive  strength  to  speak  with  calmness  the  last  fare- 
well. 

Suddenly  the  Lad's  lips  opened,  though  his  eyes 
still  remai'ned  closed,  and  he  murmured,  "  Crazy  John 
said  my  grave  should  be  lolth  a  grave."  And  a  look 
almost  like  that  of  a  smile  came  to  his  features  as  he 
repeated,  "  My  grave  should  be  tvith  a  grave." 

It  was  the  first  time  he  had  spoken,  even  in  his 
wanderings,  for  hours ;  and  the  Old  Trapper  and 
Herbert   exchanged  glances,  while  the  physician  and 


THE  3IAN  WHO  DIDX'T  KNOW  MUCH.  445 

the  captain  drew  nearer  to  the  bed.  In  a  moment  his 
lips  parted  again,  and  he  said  —  while  the  smile  on  his 
features  gave  place  to  a  look  o£  pain  :  — 

"  Why  do  they  all  laugh  at  me  ?  Everybody  laughs 
at  me  but  mother  and  John  Norton  and  Herbert. 
Father  used  to  laugh  at  me ;  but  John  Norton  never 
laughed  at  me.  He  and  Herbert  only  laughed  at  me 
once.  They  laughed  at  me  at  the  pond  of  the  bea- 
vers. Where  is  the  pond  of  the  beavers  ?  Let  me 
see,  —  let  me  see,  —  it  is  so  thick  with  smoke  that  I 
can't  see  the  pond  of  the  beavers.  Mother,  did  you 
tell  them,  when  they  laughed  at  me  at  the  pond  of  the 
beavers,  that  they  mustn't  laugh  any  more  at  me  ?  " 

Here  he  stopped,  while  the  men  looking  on  held 
their  breath,  and  not  a  sound  was  heard  but  the  tick, 
tick,  tick  of  the  little  clock  that  stood  on  the  mantel. 
It  may  have  been  five  minutes  that  the  silence  lasted  ; 
and  then  he  murmured  agfain  :  — 

"  The  captain  said  that  there  are  six  hundred  souls 
to  be  saved.  Let  me  see  —  how  many  are  six  hundred 
souls  ? — M(3ther,  can't  you  tell  me  how  many  six  hun- 
dred souls  are  ?  —  Are  they  so  many  as  that !  —  I 
think  I  ought  to  be  willing  to  die  if  I  can  save  six 
hundred  souls,  —  don't  you,  mother  ?  "  And  then  his 
speech  sank  until  it  became  inarticulate,  only  now  and 
then  as  they  watched  his  moving  lips  they  caught  the 
words,  "  six  hundred  —  six  hundred  —  souls  J' 

Again  a  long  silence  ensued ;  but  after  awhile  he 
said,  while  a  look  of  firmness  came  into  his  face, 
"  How  hot  it  is  !  —  I  didn't  think  fire  could  burn  so  : 


446  ADIRONDACK  TALES. 

but  I  mustn't  show  it  —  no,  I  mustn't  show  it."  And 
his  finofers  tig^htened  on  the  coverlid  as  if  he  were 
makinof  an  heroic  effort  at  self-control. 

And  so  his  mind  wandered,  —  Avandered  back  to  his 
boyhood  ;  wandered  back  to  the  life  he  lived  with 
his  mother.  And  then  he  talked  of  the  woods ; 
talked  about  his  traps ;  talked  of  the  life  he  had  lived 
with  the  Trapper ;  talked  about  Herbert,  and  won- 
dered if  he  would  ever  come.  And  so  in  a  wild, 
senseless,  touching  way  his  mind  wandered  over  the 
past,  and  his  tongue,  unconscious  of  its  speech,  re- 
hearsed the  fragments  of  his  experiences.  Then  he 
fell  into  a  sleep  deep  and  heavy.  His  breathings  were 
regular  and  strong.  He  slept  for  an  hour  as  a  weary 
man  sleeps  after  toil.     And  the  physician  said  :  — 

"  When  he  wakes  he  will  wake  with  his  senses,  if  he 
wake  at  all." 

And  thus  they  stood  and  watched  him  with  faces 
that  showed  their  anxiety.  Watched  and  waited;  — 
watched  and  had  their  reward.  For  suddenly  he 
moved  uneasily ;  drew  a  long  breath ;  opened  his 
eyes  ;  looked  at  the  Trapper  and  at  Herbert.  And 
as  his  eyes  came  back  to  the  countenance  of  the  old 
man  who  sat  by  his  side,  he  smiled,  and  said :  — 

"John  Norton!     Henry!" 

"  Yis,"  said  the  Trapper;  "  yis,  lad,  me  and  Henry 
be  here."  He  said  no  more,  for  as  he  said  it  he 
choked ;  and  the  sentence  ended  v/ith  a  sob. 

For  a  minute  the  Lad  made  no  reply.  He  gazed 
into   the   faces    of   the    Trapper   and    Henry  with   a 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  447 

look  of  unutterable  love,  —  a  look  that  took  the 
place  of  speech,  and  did  what  words  could  not  do ; 
for  it  expressed  to  the  two  men  that  saw  it  the 
depth  of  his  affection  for  them. 

"  How  many  were  saved?"  said  the  Lad. 

The  captain  took  a  step  forward,  and  said  :  "  Nearly 
all,  boy  ;  nearly  all.  You  saved  them  nearly  all." 
And  the  features  of  the  strong  man  convulsed,  and 
the  tears  broke  from  his  eyes. 

"  Lad,"  said  the  Trapper,  after  a  moment's  pause, 
during  which  he  had  regained  his  composure,  "there 
be  somethin'  that  must  be  said,  and  it  may  be  best 
that  I  say  it  now,  for  the  minits  be  passin'  and 
perhaps  ye  may  have  somethin'  to  tell  uSo  Lad,"  and 
here  he  faltered  a  moment,  "  Lad,  ye  have  come 
to  the  eend  of  the  trail  and  yer  feet  be  on  the  edge 
of  the  Great  Clearin'." 

"  Do  you  mean  I  am  dying,  John  Norton  ? "  said 
the  Lad. 

"  That's  what  men  call  it,  boy,  —  that's  sartinly 
what  men  call  it.  Yis,  the  doctor  here  says  ye  be 
dyni  . 

For  a  moment  the  youth  fixed  his  gaze  on  the 
ceiling  as  one  might  who  is  lost  in  reflection,  and 
then  his  eyes  fell  until  they  rested  on  the  coun- 
tenance of  the  Trapper,  and  he  said,  in  his  own 
simple  manner :  — 

"  I  am  not  afraid  to  die,  John  Norton." 

"I  know  no  reason  why  ye  should  be,  lad.  I've 
thought    the    matter    over    from    beginnin'    to    eend 


448  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

sence  I  sot  by  the  bed  here,  and  T  sartinly  know  no 
reason  why  ye  should  be,  for  ye  have  done  no 
evil  on  the  'arth  and  yer  sperit  be  innercent ,  and 
ef  ye  had  been  faulty  the  Lord  would  remember  the 
deed  ye  have  did  and  jedge  ye  in  marcy." 

Again  he  paused  a  moment,  and  then  the  old  man 
said,  tenderly :  — 

''  Is  there  anythin'  ye  would  tell  us,  lad  ?  —  any- 
thin'  ye  would  like  done,  for  it  be  the  duty  of  the 
livin'  to  sarve  the  dead,  and  Henry  and  me  be  here, 
and  our  ears  be  open  to  yer  words." 

"  Are  any  of  my  folks  living  here  now,  John 
Norton  ?  "  asked  the  Lad. 

"  No,  yer  folks  be  not  here,  boy  ;  they  moved  away 
years  ago,  and  no  one  knows  where  they  went.  No, 
boy,  not  one  of  yer  kindred  be  here/' 

"  'Tis  well,"  said  the  Lad,  "  mother's  grave  is  here, 
that  is  enouo:h.  You  will  find  it  to  the  left  of  the 
big  pine  that  stands  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
graveyard.  I  told  you  the  name,  you  know.  You 
will  lay  my  body  there,  John  Norton." 

'^  It  shall  be  did  as  ye  say,"  returned  the  Trapper, 

The  Lad  remained  silent  a  moment,  engaged  in 
thought,  and  then  he  said,  "  I  want  you  to  take  the 
rifle,  John  Norton,  and  Sport,  for  they  will  be  of  some 
service  to  you." 

"  Yis,  the  dog  will  be  of  sarvice,  for  sartin,  for  he's 
stanch  and  his  nose  be  a  good  un,  and  Rover  be  gittin' 
on  in  years,  and  can't  in  the  natur'  of  things  hold  out 
much  longer.     I've  noted  that  he  lagged  this  fall  in 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDX'T  KXOW  MUCH  449 

the  races.  Yis,  I  would  like  the  clog,  and  he  will  be  a 
great  comfort  to  me,  boy,  arter  ye  be  gone,  for  the 
cabin  will  seem  empty  next  winter.  The  thoughts  of 
the  old  be  apt  to  be  lonely,  and  the  presence  of  the 
doo;  will  shorten  the  evenin's  and  make  the  cabin 
more  homelike.  But  as  for  the  rifle,  which  be  but 
leetle  better  than  a  miserable  gun,  sence  it  loads 
at  the  wrong  eend,  and  has  a  mind  of  its  own 
about  goin'  off,  —  so  that  while  I'll  allow  it  has  a 
long  range  and  shoots  where  ye  hold  it,  yit  it  can't 
be  depended  on,  as  ye  know,  boy,  and  be  of  no 
use  to  a  hunter  like  me  whose  ranges  be  short  and 
will  git  shorter  as  my  eyes  grow  dim.  But  for  the 
target  ground  of  the  settlements,  which  Henry  has 
told  us  about,  where  they  shoot  furder  than  a  man 
can  see,  the  gun  be  a  good  un  ;  Henry  thinks  one 
of  the  best,  ef  not  the  best,  ever  made.  And  so, 
lad,  while  I  don't  want  to  argue  agin  yer  wishes 
or  seem  ongrateful,  yit  in  the  natur'  of  things  it 
sartinly  looks  as  ef  ye  had  better  give  me  the  dog 
and  Henry  the  gun." 

^^I  think  you  are  right,  John  Norton,"  said  the 
Lad,  in  a  feeble  but  pleased  tone,  "you  are  always 
right.  Yes,  Henry,  you  take  the  rifle  I  w^on  at 
the  match,  and  I  know  you  will  wdn  many  prizes  with 
it,  and  when  you  use  it  on  the  match-ground,  and  the 
people  are  all  standing  round,  and  the  rich  and  the 
great  looking  on,  as  you  told  us,  you  must  think  of 
me,  for  you  will  never  know  how  much  I  love  you. 
Mother  first,  John  Norton  next,  and  then  you.     Yes, 


450  ADIBOXDACK  TALES. 

that's  the  way  it  has  been.  Mother  first,  John  Nor- 
ton next,  and  then  you." 

"  I  will  take  the  rifle  and  keep  it,  lad,  as  your  gift 
to  me,"  Herbert  said  ;  "  the  gift  of  a  man  who  saved 
my  life,  and  who  has  taught  me  the  beauty  of  inno- 
cence and  the  wisdom  of  a  pure  mind,  as  man 
never  tauoht  me  before."  And  he  looked  at  the 
Lad's  sweet  face  with  eyes  blinded  with  tears. 

"I  don't  think  that  you  could  ever  have  learned 
anything  from  me,  Henry,"  responded  the  Lad;  "for 
you  are  learned  and  I  am  ignorant.  John  Norton 
is  wise  and  I  am  foolish.  And  they  all  used  to 
tell  me  I  didn't  know  much  ;  and  I  know  they 
were  right,  for  I  never  was  cunning  as  the  other 
boys  ;  and  I  had  a  hard  time  to  learn  even  to  read. 
But  mother  told  me  I  could  learn  if  I  tried  hard 
enough,  and  I  did  try  real  hard.  And  in  two  years  I 
could  read  the  Testament  throuoh  without  makino*  a 
single  mistake  ;  and  I  remember  how  pleased  mother 
was  when  I  did  it." 

"  Lad,"  said  the  Trapper,  gravely,  "  I've  lived 
beyend  the  limit  of  man's  days,  and  I've  seed  many 
of  the  wise  and  the  great  of  the  'arth,  and  many 
that  was  foolish,  and  my  eyes  have  been  open  to 
what  they  have  seed;  and  I've  noted  that  some 
larn  from  books,  and  some  larn  from  natur',  and 
some  know  without  larnin'.  Yis,  some  make  'em- 
selves  wise  by  readin'  and  seein'  and  thinkin'.  And 
others  be  born  wise ;  for  they  know  good  from  evil, 
and  they  strike  the  trail  right  every  time,  and  from 


THE  :\IAX  WHO  DIDXT  KXOW  MUCH.  451 

cradle  to  grave  never  lose  the  line  of  the  blazin'.  But 
there  amt  many  of  this  kind ;  no,  there  be  but  few 
that  be  born  wise  ;  but  ye  was  one  of  'em.  Yis,  lad, 
ye  was  sartinly  one  of  'em ;  for  the  Lord  gin  ye 
somethin'  better  than  the  knowin'  head  and  the  cun- 
nin'.  tongue ;  for  He  gave  ye  a  heart  to  love  right 
and  to  hate  wrong,  and  he  made  ye  marciful  to  them 
that  do  evil  and  treated  ye  onkindly ;  and  he  gin  ye 
courao'e  to  die  like  a  chief  without  tremblin'  or  talkin' 
when  the  time  he  had  sot  for  yer  death-hour  had 
come.  And  more  than  all  of  the  wise  and  the  great 
I  have  knowed,  lad,  I  think  ye  was  favored  by  yer 
Maker." 

The  Old  Trapper  had  said  this  with  the  decision 
and  majesty  of  a  man  who  speaks  from  deliberation, 
and  is  expressing  the  judgment  of  a  mind  which, 
naturally  able,  had  received  and  been  profited  by  the 
lessons  of  a  long  and  varied  experience.  A«tnoment 
after  he  had  paused  the  Lad  said  :  — 

"  There  is  something  else  I  w^ant  to  speak  about, 
John  Norton." 

"Yis,"  returned  the  Trapper,  "I  know  there  be 
somethin'  else.  What  do  ye  wish  done  with  it  ? 
Speak  the  word,  boy,  and  it  shall  be  done  as  ye  say, 
whatever  be  the  orders  or  however  fur  yer  arrand 
takes  me." 

The  Lad  looked  at  the  Trapper  and  made  a  slight 
motion  of  his  wTist  toward  him  ;  and  then  he  looked 
at  Henry  and  made  the  same  motion. 

"  Which  ?  "  said  the  Trapper. 


452  ADIROXDACK  TALES. 

"  Both/'  replied  the  Lad,  softly. 

Both  knew  what  he  meant.  Both  knew  how  he 
loved  it.  Both  knew  what  a  testimony  he  was  giving 
them  of  the  depth  of  his  affection,  in  thus  making 
them  joint  heirs  and  custodians  of  that  which  had 
been  to  him  what  the  harp  was  to  the  dumb  angel : 
the  source  of  joy  inexjDressible,  the  one  precious  me- 
dium through  which  that  in  him  in  which  he  was 
superior  to  others  might  pour  itself  forth  with  such 
volume  of  evidence  that  none  could  dispute,  and 
which  being  admitted  gave  him  at  once  rank  and 
precedence  among  men. 

"  It  be  well  settled,  lad,"  slowly  and  solemnly 
answered  the  Trapper,  after  his  mind  had  canvassed 
the  matter  a  moment.  "  Yis,  it  be  well  settled.  It 
shall  stay  in  the  cabin  till  I  go  ;  then  Henry  shall  take 
it ;  and  when  he  comes  on  and  jines  us,  he  shall  do 
with  it  what  seems  best  in  his  jedgment.  Be  that  as 
it  should  be,  lad  ?     Be  that  what  ye  mean  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Lad,  feebly  ;  "  that  is  the  way  I 
wish  it  to  be.     That  is  what  I  mean." 

Here  the  conversation  ended,  for  the  Lad  had 
grown  feebler  as  it  progressed,  and  the  last  words 
had  been  spoken  scarcely  above  a  whisper.  He  had 
disposed  of  his  earthly  possessions.  The  things  that 
he  loved  he  had  given  to  the  two  men  he  loved,  and 
as  if  he  was  conscious  that  he  had  done  with  the  earth 
his  mind  retired  within  itself,  and  he  lay  with  a  look 
on  his  face  that  showed  he  still  had  the  use  of  his 


THE  MAX  WHO  DIDN'T  KXOW  MUCH.  453 

faculties,  but  through  them  was  communing  only  with 
the  invisible. 

The  medical  attendant  looked  significantly  at  Her- 
bert, and  moving  within  reach  of  the  Trapper  touched 
him  softly  on  the  arm.  The  old  man,  whose  eyes  had 
not  moved  from  the  countenance  of  the  Lad,  nodded 
his  head  as  evidence  that  he  understood  the  communi- 
cation. The  life  that  had  been  peaceful  —  that  had 
been  filled  with  the  peace  of  innocence  —  was  drawing 
to  a  peaceful  close.  The  departure  of  so  simple  a 
spirit  from  its  mortal  frame,  the  rising  of  so  sweet  a 
soul  as  it  left  the  earth  to  appear  in  the  presence  of 
its  Maker,  could  not  be  attended  with  any  sudden  or 
startling  manifestation.  He  opened  his  eyes  only 
once  more  ;  looked  for  a  moment  into  the  face  of 
Herbert,  turned  them  upon  the  countenance  of  the 
Trapper,  held  them  there  for  an  instant  as  if  taking 
in  every  feature  of  the  face  he  had  loved  so  well,  — 
as  though  he  would  fix  the  loved  lineaments  indelibly 
on  his  memory  for  the  long  parting,  and  then  he 
lifted  them  upward,  and  while  the  light  of  a  deep  joy 
darkened  in  their  depths,  —  the  joy  of  a  recognition 
of  some  one  he  had  expected  to  see  with  too  sincere  a 
faith  to  be  surprised  at  meeting,  said,  as  naturally  as  a 
child  might  say  it  on  the  earth :  — 

"  Mother  !  " 

And  then  that  gray  film  which  gathers  sooner  or 
later  over  all  mortal  orbs  formed  suddenly  over  his. 
And  thus  without  pang   or  motion  his   spirit  passed 


454  ABIBOXDACK  TALES. 

away.  And  there,  in  the  farmhouse  by  the  sea,  near 
the  beach  where  he  played  when  a  boy,  and  the  grave 
of  his  mother,  "  The  Man  Who  Didn't  Know  Much  " 
lay  dead. 


THE    END. 


M81800 


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